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This blog provides you English news updates, articles, and videos about rising authoritarian rule in Hungary.

Why Hungary Is Threatening Europe’s Hard-Fought Coronavirus Recovery Fund An old development debate surfaces in the European Union.

September 7, 2020 by Péter Sárosi

Hungary and Poland managed to delay a mechanism that would tie EU funding to rule-of-law conditions, but a future where the EU can penalize Hungary for antidemocratic behavior by withholding funding is closer than ever.

The Great Replacement: A Conspiracy Theory Shared by the Christchurch Terrorist and Orban’s Government

August 28, 2020 by takacsistvangabor

The paranoid white supremacist ideology behind the Christchurch terrorist attack is the same that is used to legitimise the anti-migrant policies of the Hungarian government.

Hungarian National TV Downplays Belarus Rally

August 18, 2020 by Lili Török

A 35-second news segment on Sunday’s historic anti-Lukashenko protest in Belarus encapsulates how publicly funded, pro-government Hungarian media downplays the importance of recent events in the former Soviet Republic.

The Hungarian Government is Undermining EU Action Against Lukashenko

August 15, 2020 by takacsistvangabor

While the rest of Europe watched with horror as Alexander Lukashenko unleashed unprecedented terror on its own people, the Hungarian government helped him to stabilize his power.

How the Ruling Party Keeps a Firm Grip on Power in Hungary

July 29, 2020 by takacsistvangabor

Why do so many Hungarians keep voting for the ruling party, Fidesz? Political analysts have been trying to find the answer to this question for several years. There are multiple explanations, some of them are supplementary, others are contradictory to each other.

Index’s Freedom Fight Comes to an End. What’s Next? The Top Hungarian News Site Broadcasts Its Independence Struggle

July 24, 2020 by Péter Sárosi

Most of the editorial staff at Hungary’s largest online news site resigned today, after a decade-long struggle for the company’s independence. The way pro-government interests co-opted the company, slowly, and then all at once, is a textbook example of the way Fidesz has built its media empire over the years. The way the editorial staff stood their ground, and broadcast this struggle, is an important commentary on independent journalism and democratic backsliding. The question is: are Hungarians ready to pay to help them start over?

China Funds a Trip to Autocracy in Europe What happens when two authoritarian regimes partner to build railways in Europe?

June 29, 2020 by Péter Sárosi

China needed to pass through Europe. Hungary needed to bypass it. Here is the story of the Hungarian-Chinese partnership to renovate the Budapest-Belgrade railway route.

How to Become a Hungarian Millionaire in Just a Few Weeks Using Public Procurement The Story of a Soccer Player Who Quit the Game and Immediately Won USD 25 Million in Public Funding for Hotel Renovation

June 23, 2020 by takacsistvangabor

A soccer player made USD 25 million when he applied to a public tender without any experience. Here is how he did it. He was in the right place, at the right time – and knew the right people.

Hungary’s Campaign to Centralize Power in the Crisis: the Details

June 17, 2020 by Péter Sárosi

Faced with a dire economic outlook, the Orbán government undermined those best positioned to help — municipal governments.

Authoritarians Unite: How Orban and Lukashenko Partnered Up in the Crisis

June 9, 2020 by takacsistvangabor

A meeting of two authoritarian leaders serves to demonstrate their joint defiance against external criticism while both leaders launch a renewed crackdown on their oppositions.

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More from the Autocracy Analyst

Orbán Strikes Civil Society Again

July 6, 2021 By takacsistvangabor

The Hungarian government has adopted new rules designed to intimidate Hungarian NGOs and people who donate money to them. With the space for civil society in Hungary rapidly shrinking, the support and solidarity of the international community is needed more than ever.

Outsourcing Autocracy: The Rise of the Hungarian Deep State

April 28, 2021 By takacsistvangabor

The right-wing authoritarian government of Hungary decided to give away billions of Euros in public funds to private foundations controlled by a small political-economic elite. Thereby effectively forming a shadow government that can continue to rule the country, regardless of the results of the parliamentary elections.     

The Deep Moral Crisis of the Hungarian Establishment

December 4, 2020 By takacsistvangabor

The tale of the anti-gay MEP arrested at a gay sex party is not the first, and probably won’t be the last in the long line of scandals that reveal the deep moral crisis of the Hungarian elite. But will it be enough to shake Orban’s system? On a cold Friday night at the end […]

“Political Pressure is Often Exercised through Business Means” Interview with Investigative Journalists Blanka Zöldi and András Pethő

November 19, 2020 By Péter Sárosi

Direkt36 is a Budapest-based investigative journalism center that follows the Pro Publica model of in-depth research and partnership-based distribution to maximize readership. They interpret accountability broadly; they believe in the responsibility to show the public how decisions are made, and to show who really holds the power. András Pethő co-founded Direkt36 with Gergely Sáling and Balázs […]

What Freedom-Loving Hungarians Expect from a Biden Presidency

November 1, 2020 By Péter Sárosi

Joe Biden is favored to win the presidency in the upcoming U.S. elections. He has condemned the Hungarian prime minister and praised “freedom-loving Hungarians.” What would his presidency mean for pro-democracy activists in practice? We interviewed human rights leaders on the ground, who told us about their perceptions of U.S. foreign policy in Hungary, what changed during the Trump era, and what a good relationship with U.S. diplomacy means to them.

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