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32 I Central Europe bne June 2018
Hungary's PM Viktor Orban has built a 'soft-autocracy'
Hungary's Orban has flouted EU values and he is getting away with it
Orban helped establish Fidesz in the late 1980s as the Hungarian commu- nist system collapsed. It was classi- cally liberal, progressive, and sceptical of nationalism. While the next two decades would see the party move further to the right, Orban's victory
in the 2010 election had few people predicting what would come next.
Orban has consolidated control over the levers of power across the country. Checks and balances have been disman- tled, critical voices have been curbed, and civil society has been undermined. He used the majorities gained in the 2010 and 2014 elections to tweak the constitution, pack institutions with loyalists, and change the electoral laws. He has overseen the creation of what is best described as a 'soft-autocracy'.
This is key to understanding how Orban has maintained his grip on the country. Hungary is not a dictatorship. There is no state violence. But Orban has built
a system of centralised power that frustrates criticism and narrows dissent. Independent media, and their stories about Orban's corruption, have trouble being heard above outlets owned by the government. Efforts by opposition par- ties to reach out to the rural population are hampered by complicated campaign regulation. NGOs and universities face financial hurdles and harassment if they challenge the party line. All this, with the help of billions in public funds, allows Orban to shape much of the country's public political discourse.
Of course, Orban remains genuinely popular. He is seen as responsible for
COMMENT:
Lindsay Mackenzie in Glasgow
Last weekend saw the second major protest against the recent re-election of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Tens of thou- sands marched through the capital, Budapest, angry at the government's increasing control over the media and civil society. Others decried the current electoral system, which gave Orban's party, Fidesz, a two-thirds majority in parliament with under 50% of the vote. It was a reminder of just how much has changed under Orban's rule.
Orban and his Fidesz party were voted in for a third consecutive term on April 8. It was an election – declared free but not fair by international observers – dominated by xenophobia, conspiracy, and smear. There was little discussion of
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the economy, education or healthcare; instead the campaign was overshadowed by hate-filled rhetoric about immigration in a country with few immigrants. Anti- Semitic tropes were also rolled out and
“The campaign was overshadowed by hate-filled rhetoric about immigration in a country with few immigrants”
Hungarian-born philanthropist George Soros was attacked.
Hungary was once described as a role model for EU enlargement in Eastern Europe. What went wrong?
Hungary's economic recovery, and as a protector of Hungarian interests in the face of “foreign enemies.” Hungary's own history is one of conquest and occupation. Orban has taken advantage of that. And while it is true that the