Nearly 25 years have passed since the collapse of communism in Hungary. Has this period allowed for the emergence of a new generation of democrats? Have young people successfully come to terms with the authoritarian past and developed a commitment to democracy as a system of rule?
Since the transition, the liberal democratic system has produced a strong economic socialization effect on young Hungarians, educating them to become “good consumers” who have to a large extent embraced the goods offered by the global cultural and entertainment industry. In cooperation with the Heinrich Böll Foundation the Political Capital Institute prepared a study with a view to getting a better grasp of the factors underpinning widespread disillusionment with ‘democracy’, and uncovering the reasons behind the low levels of political activity among young people in Hungary.
