Since coming to power in 2010, the Fidesz–Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP) government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has systematically dismantled the liberal democracy built in Hungary following the collapse of communism and established in its place an illiberal democracy (see Proclamation of the Illiberal Hungarian State).

This hybrid political system has preserved many of the fundamental elements and attributes of liberal democracy: free elections; independent opposition parties; the rule of law; observance of the human and civil rights of all citizens; and respect for civil liberties—the freedoms of speech, religion, association, assembly and, on a practical level, the media.

The semi-authoritarian régime established in Hungary—the first to emerge within the European Union—also has the following general and specific traits that within the country’s present political context are indicative of illiberal democracy:

Manipulates elections and state institutions in order to preserve political power. See:

–National Assembly Election System

–2014 National Assembly Elections

–Crunching the Election Numbers

–The Budget Council

Centralizes and obfuscates executive power. See:

–The Prime Ministry

–Prime Ministerial Cabinet Office

Establishes legal, institutional and economic framework to stifle independent media. See:

–Media Laws

–The National Media and Infocommunications Authority

–The Big Gun Swings into Action

–Black Screen of Protest

–A Few Thousand Malcontents

–The Demise of People’s Freedom

Curbs the authority and independence of the judiciary. See:

–The Constitutional Court

–The Curia

–The National Judicial Office

Attacks decisions of judiciary. See:

–Having Your Cake

Organizes show trials. See:

–Why Just Now?

Maintains dominant one-party system with weak liberal-democratic opposition. See:

–State of the Democratic Opposition

–Testament to Weakness

–A Few Thousand Malcontents

Slanders liberal-democratic opposition. See:

–Naming the Assassins

Extends state control over behavior of citizens on paternalistic grounds. See:

–State Monopoly on the Retail Sale of Tobacco

–Sunday Shop Closing

Uses powerful internal-security force for political purposes. See:

–The Counter Terrorism Center

–Marching to Praetoria

–The Dubious Plot

–The Dubious Plot (2)

Uses mass propaganda to support political policies. See:

–Viktor’s New Sign

–Sign War I

–Sign of Things to Come

–National Consultation on Immigration and Terrorism

–National Consultation on the Fundamental Law

–Mass Mobilization 101

–Peace, Bread and Utility-Fee Cuts!

–Minus 20 Everywhere

–Illustrations in the Decorative Edition of the Fundamental Law (gallery)

Uses state-run media as propaganda tool. See:

–The Media Services and Support Trust Fund (MTVA)

–The Röszke Telephones: Hungarian Television Anti-Migrant Propaganda

–Referendum Homestretch on Hungarian Television

Uses direct democracy as source of legitimacy. See:

–National Consultation on Immigration and Terrorism

–National Consultation on the Fundamental Law

–Mass mobilization 101

–The Referendum That Couldn’t Fail

–Hungary’s 2016 Referendum on European Union Migrant Resettlement Quotas

Uses mass mobilization as show of force. See:

–Pro-Government Peace March Demonstrations

–Not with a Whimper

–The Soft, White Underbelly

–First Peace March (photo gallery)

–Sixth Peace March (photo gallery)

Appeals to petty motives of the electorate in order to gain support. See:

–Government Public Utility-Fee Cuts

–Peace, Bread and Utility-Fee Cuts!

–Minus 20 Everywhere

–The Ignoble Struggle

Impugns and obstructs the operations of non-governmental organizations. See:

–The Orbán Government and EEA-Norway Grants

–Invasion of the HomoVikings

–Slaying the Gentle Giant

Operates government-organized non-government organization (GONGO). See:

–The Civil Cooperation Forum (CÖF)

–Making Politics of Migration: the Civil Cooperation Forum Signs

–A Thousand Clowns

Rejects multiculturalism; opposes immigration. See:

–Hungary and the Great Migration

–Je Suis Viktor

–National Consultation on Immigration and Terrorism

–Hungary’s 2016 Referendum on European Union Migrant Resettlement Quotas

Builds border barriers. See:

–The Curtain Falls Again

–Fortress Hungary

Patronizes racist and xenophobic journalists. See:

–Journalist Zsolt Bayer

–Who Should Not Be?

–The Same Stench

–Stage 3: Dehumanization

–Too Close for Comfort

–Will the Real Mr. Fidesz Please Stand Up!

Advocates policies similar to those of the radical-nationalist opposition. See:

–The Jobbikization of Fidesz (Act 1): Reinstatement of the Death Penalty

–Follow the Evil Twin

–Taking the Ball

Tolerates manifestations of radical-nationalist xenophobia and racism. See:

–Uniform Disorder

–See No Evil

–The New Hungarian Guard/For a Better Future Hungarian Self-Defense

Utilizes irredentist sentiment to consolidate popular support. See:

–The Alienator

–The Friends You Keep

Attempts to deflect blame for the Holocaust away from the Hungarian state. See:

–Round About Midnight

–What Is Truth?

–The German Occupation Memorial (gallery)

Opposes opening communist-era domestic-intelligence files to the public. See:

–Communist-Era Domestic Intelligence Files

Restricts the liberty of the homeless. See:

–Fidesz-KDNP Homeless Policy

–Where Have All the Bums Gone?

Refuses to explicitly or implicitly endorse homosexuality. See:

–The Cardboard Men

Conducts Statist Economic Policy. See:

–Nationalization of Private Pension Funds

–Orbán Administration Measures to Reduce Household Foreign-Currency Debt

–State Monopoly on the Retail Sale of Tobacco

–Land Law

Curbs the independence of the central bank. See:

–The National Bank of Hungary

Operates large-scale, semi-compulsory public work program. See:

–The Fluorescent Army

Promotes sports to strengthen legitimacy. See:

–Football stadium construction

Consolidates power through patron-client relations with business oligarchs. See:

–Lőrincz Mészáros

–Andy Vajna

–Árpád Habony

–Gábor Széles

–Lajos Simicska

–Siss-boom-BANG!

–The Fury of an Oligarch Scorned

–Cleft in the Monolith

–Life Instinct or Insider Trading?

–The Hungarian Investment Immigration Program

Enables high-ranking officials to use public position to achieve personal benefit. See:

–One Man’s Plaything

–Football stadium construction

–Feeling No Shame

–The Crossroad of Principle

Strengthens relations with Russia and other authoritarian régimes. See:

–Vlad Beyond Reproach

–From Russia with Love

–Deal of the Century

–An Archconservative Speaks Out

–Birds of a Feather

–Birds of a Feather (2)

–Back to the Future

–Eastern Opening

–Eastern Opening: China

–Eastern Opening: Azerbaijan

–Eastern Opening Russia

Maintains antagonistic relations with the European Union. See:

–Hell-lo Dictator!

–Sign of Things to Come

–Swallowing the Frog

–The Bantam Shows His Spurs

–The Faux Foe

–Hungary and the European Union Excessive-Deficit Procedure

–The Tavares Report

–Prime Minister Orbán’s March 15 Speech

 

The main objective of illiberal democratic systems such as that currently functioning in Hungary under the leadership of Prime Minister Orbán appears to be to concentrate power as much as possible within the formal parameters of democracy. The rise of this type of system, which also exists in Russia and Turkey and is under formation in Poland as well, poses a significant threat to the unity and political stability of the liberal-democratic European Union in particular and to the global strength and influence of liberal democracy in general.