NEWS + ANALYSIS
MÁTÉ HAJBA

NEWS + ANALYSIS

HUNGARY STANDS AT A CROSSROADS BETWEEN AUTHORITY AND LIBERTY

February 11, 2015 | by Máté Hajba

Hungary has been headed down a path toward a Vladimir Putin–style authoritarian state for the past few years, ever since Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took power in 2010. Driven by a supermajority of the governing party, Fidesz, Hungary’s government has settled into a status quo bolstered by self-serving propaganda and corruption of the rule of law. A series of scandals has opened the eyes of many previously uninterested citizens, though, allowing an opposition movement to take root. Hungarians have not given up on regaining their freedoms.

READ MORE

LIBERAL DEMOCRACY IS OVER IN HUNGARY

July 29, 2014 | by Máté Hajba

The declaration that liberal democracy is over in Hungary is no exaggeration. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said so. He should know, having delivered two huge blows to democracy recently. Last week started with a Constitutional Court (CC) decision that everyone had been waiting for. The CC was our last hope for checks and balances in the country. We had been optimistic but to no avail. The court slapped democracy in the face regarding Hungary’s municipal election system in the capital, Budapest.

READ MORE

A GRIM TIME FOR HUNGARY

April 16, 2014 | by Máté Hajba

The reelection of Hungary’s governing party, Fidesz, is bad news for investors and liberals alike since Fidesz did its best to nationalize assets and strengthen government power. The bad news was compounded by the third-place finish of the country’s ultranationalist party, Jobbik, which gained a significant number of seats in the election. Fidesz, a self-proclaimed center-right party, enjoyed a two-thirds majority in the previous term, giving them absolute power. This will continue in the new term.

READ MORE

MOST POPULAR

FEATURED ANALYSIS

FEATURED VIDEOS

FEATURED PARTNERS

RECOVER PASSWORD AND USERNAME

Enter your username or email address below, and we'll send you your username and a link to change your password.

CREATE A MY-ALA ACCOUNT