Claire Scafidi
Introduction
Hungary, a landlocked country in Central Europe, is a member of the European Union and a parliamentary republic. After World War II, Hungary was under communist rule, supported by the Soviets, but held its first multiparty elections in 1990, starting a free market economy. Hungary joined NATO in 1999 and the EU in 2004, cementing its position as a democratic country. Formerly viewed as a leader of democracies in the post-communist region, Hungary has trended towards democratic backsliding. In 2011, Hungary created a new Constitution that redrew legislative districts, cut parliamentary seats from 386 to 199, and turned the executive power into an autocracy. Democratic backsliding is the obstruction of rights and state-led attack against the country’s liberal constitutional democracy.
Victor Orbán
Viktor Orbán is the current Hungarian prime minister, serving since 2010. He was also prime minister from 1998 to 2002 and has been the leader of the Fidesz party from 1993-2000 and from 2003 to now. He proudly supports “illiberal democracy,” or a democracy that does not necessarily protect the rights of its citizens, thus explaining Hungary’s democratic backsliding. Orbán’s loss in 2006 caused Fidesz to radicalize towards illiberalism rather than conservatism. Fidesz is a right-wing populist party that has become increasingly authoritarian and ethno-nationalist. Fidesz’s definition of the ethnicity of Hungary is defined as white Christian Hungarians. Under Orbán, Fidesz has become far right, which is characterized by populism, nativism, and authoritarianism. Fidesz has a parliamentary supermajority coupled with the president and prime minister. Interestingly enough, the origins of Fidesz lie in democratic opposition that occurred during the Soviet influence over Hungary.
Orbán is a classic far-right leader today, demonstrated by his authoritative, populist, and nativist streak. Orbán often caters to the majority and emphasizes fears of immigration, especially with the rise in immigration due to the Russia-Ukraine War. The Great Recession of 2008 triggered Hungary’s democratic backsliding into weakened institutions and executive authoritative power. Additionally, the stability of Hungary’s democracy was further weakened by the 2015 refugee crisis.
Under Orbán, Hungary has backslid from a model of democracy to an illiberal democracy through attacks on minority rights, seizure of public institutions, reduction in the processes of elections, and putting politicians above the law. Orbán’s Fidesz government has consolidated power over independent institutions such as universities, the media, opposition groups, and NGOs. Hiding behind the idea of “austerity,” Orbán has permanently closed academic institutions and has increased government control of universities. Furthermore, in 2023, Fidesz created the “Status Law,” removing labor protections from teachers, causing many to quit.
The 2022 parliamentary elections were not free and fair and the election rules were changed to benefit the ruling Fidesz-Christian Democratic People’s Party Coalition. For example, there is evidence Fidesz bought and imported votes and rigged election websites to malfunction purposefully. Human Rights Watch found that the Hungarian government used citizens’ data to personalize Fidesz’s messages. Additionally, Fidesz has redrawn districts in a form of gerrymandering. As for opposition parties, Orbán uses the State Audit Office to target and harass political opponents. Opposition parties do not have equal access to media or state resources as Fidesz dominates both.
On the World Press Freedom Index, Hungary ranks 85th, a significant drop from its ranking of 40th in 2014. Orbán controls a large portion of media through the Kesma Foundation, which has 500 outlets. Many of Orbán’s allies own “independent” media outlets, and Fidesz pressures state-owned media. Truly independent journalists censor themselves to avoid fines, jail time, and opposition from the party. Furthermore, Hungarian authorities used Pegasus, Israeli spyware technology, to surveil independent journalists. By creating a Media Council, the Fidesz government created unspecified categories in which media must fit: “balanced, family-friendly, and Hungarian.” A natural nativist, Orbán often uses anti-semitic rhetoric and stereotypes to blame George Soros, a Jewish billionaire, for controlling the media, which is untrue. Another conspiracy often used by the Fidesz government is that academic institutions and programs are “Soros agents.” Alongside the Jewish population, Orbán also targets the Roma population, which is an ethnic group that has historically been discriminated against. Furthermore, the Fidesz party is largely Islamaphobic.
Current Developments
In 2024, Hungary scored 65/100 and was deemed “partly free” on Freedom House, an organization best known for political advocacy surrounding issues of democracy. Meanwhile, in 2010, Hungary scored a 2.39/2.99 or 80/100. Since 2017, this score has steadily declined.
In 2024, Hungary’s first female president, Katalin Novak, resigned after pardoning a person involved in child abuse. Fidesz nominated and confirmed Tamas Sulyok, who is critiqued as politically inexperienced in his sole focus as a lawyer. Additionally, protests occurred nationwide as the president was not elected directly. Thus far, Sulyok has not played a major role in Hungary’s politics.
Furthermore, Hungary’s close ties to Russia, anti-Ukraine stance, and refusal to admit Sweden into NATO, have caused tensions with its allies. Recently, Hungary was also the only member country to oppose the creation of the NATO Center for Democratic Resilience in Brussels to combat authoritarianism.
Future Implications
The rise of authoritarianism in Hungary influences the rest of the region. As an ally of Russia, Hungary has created tensions with other countries within the EU over the Russia-Ukraine War. Furthermore, 2024 was a crucial year for elections in the U.S. and worldwide. The U.S.’s recent elections showed a shift towards far-right populism, with the election of President Donald Trump and majorities for the Republican party in the House of Representatives and Senate. The combined influence of Trump and Orbán as right-wing leaders will be interesting to see in the trans-Atlantic order. Orbán endorsed Trump, and Trump spoke highly of the prime minister during a presidential debate, leading to the plausible reasoning for a future alliance. Additionally, Hungary is holding elections in 2026. As Orbán continues to move towards his envisioned “illiberal democracy,” elections will likely become even less free and less fair. Hungary serves as a warning sign for the democratic West of how quickly democracy can fail right before the eyes of the international community. President Trump’s admiration of Orbán and similarity in action should also serve as a stark reminder of what will come.