Viktor Orbán

The Hungarian political scene has never been more turbulent in the past 14 years. Since the start of the clemency scandal in early February, Fidesz has been unable to control the political narrative for months, despite its dominant position in power. The campaign leading up to the local and the European Parliament (EP) elections has been dominated by a new challenger, Péter Magyar, and his Respect and Freedom Party (Tisza) so far, although in recent weeks Fidesz has found its footing again.

Viktor Orbán’s recent thoughts on race theory in Băile Tușnad/Tusnádfürdő in Romania on 23 July have provoked strong reactions in Hungary and internationally. However, the Prime Minister has not said anything new. 

After years of perpetual rhetorical wars and shadow-boxing with Brussels, international liberal elites and other mostly imaginary enemies, PM Viktor Orbán got himself a real war to deal with.

The Hungarian Government has classified more than 3000 investments as priority projects, which means that for these projects, both public participation and control by experts who are independent are practically non-existent.

Imagine a country where citizens and public bodies come together to solve the most important issues they face; and allocate public funds accordingly. Where the decision-making process is transparent and accountable, and where you have a real say in the policies and services that shape your life. In Hungary, the budget process, that distributes almost half of the national income, operates against these democratic principles. The latest Open Budget Survey shows that Hungary is far behind other countries of the CEE region in almost all aspects when it comes to transparency and participation related to the national budget.

Recently, in mid-November 2021, Hungarian Parliament adopted a bill which did not itself amend the rules governing elections, but may nonetheless have a profound impact on the integrity of the 2022 parliamentary elections in Hungary.

In this interview, the green Hungarian politician Benedek Jávor explains the history of Paks II, the controversial Hungarian-Russian deal to expand the four nuclear power plant units in the southern Hungarian town of Paks by adding two more units.

To avoid further environmental damages due to the use of EU money, the European Commission should suspend funding to the Hungarian government.

Successful organization of the primaries, high voter turnout, and (partial) successes for most of the participating parties are all reasons for the Hungarian opposition to celebrate, but there is still a lot for them to do to win enough votes for a majority in the National Assembly, especially from small settlements. Forging their coalition party list will be the main source of future conflict, but the dynamics of the six-party machine are also threatened by an internal fight for domination over the alliance, and the ruling party could be an active actor in disrupting the unity of the opposition.

Back in June, the Hungarian Parliament adopted a new law, the so-called "Child Protection Act, that resulted in a major international controversy and infringement procedures launched by the European Commission over its measures targeting the LGBTQ+ community. Seeking to reinforce these provisions on the European stage, Viktor Orbán recently announced a referendum on the regulations. Is it about protecting children, or is it a tool for Viktor Orbán in his domestic and European political battles? Analysis.