In 2024, billions of citizens across the world are asked to cast their vote in more than 50 countries. Over the recent years, more and more far-right, illiberal parties have gained traction in these democracies. While some countries have experienced different results, even in the opposite direction of right-wing populism, it is clear that numerous countries are moving toward a dangerous path that puts liberty at risk.
One of the countries that endangers liberty is Viktor Orbán’s Hungary. J.D. Vance, Donald Trump’s running-mate, has on numerous occasions praised some policies that the Hungarian president has enacted. In fact, he has stated that the U.S. should “embrace a similar mindset,” when it comes to regulatory crackdowns on universities. Not only has Vance applauded Orbán, but Trump himself has called him “fantastic.” However, the autocratic model that Viktor Orbán has imposed on Hungary is an avenue that nations should fear, not praise.
Viktor Orbán has been in power longer than any other democratically elected E.U. leader now in office, and during his time he has sought to bend democracy to his own desires. His ruling party, Fidesz, has completely re-designed the election system. In 2010, when the party managed to get two-thirds of MPs, it began changing the constitution. The number of justices on the constitutional court was raised from 11 to 15, with its added four being pro-Fidesz. It also lowered the retirement age for judges and prosecutors, in order to make posts open for Orbán loyalists. These moves are just a few examples of how Fidesz managed to skew election disputes in their favor. In 2018, Orbán received 49.27 % of the votes and still managed to get again two-thirds of the votes, without any need for voter fraud. So, while in theory there is a chance Orbán could lose an election, in reality, his rigged system has made him able hold on to power for a long time.
Not only has Orbán managed to redesign the system, he has also put a lot of focus on propaganda. A non profit organization called KESMA, which aims to promote “Chirstian and national values,” and other pro-government media outlets owns more than 80% of the news audience. Thus, Orbán has aligned media outlets to only represent the Prime Minister in a positive way, giving people limited scope of his autocracy. Media has throughout time been an important part to inform the people of the methods that leaders use. It is thanks to the media that fraudulent and dangerous people or groups get exposed, and therefore, it is a vital component in a thriving society.
In 2017, Orbán passed a law that designed to shut down George Soros’s university, Central European University, a private graduate university which has programs ranked among the top 50 in the world. A year later, the university was forced out of Hungary and moved to neighboring country Austria. This move is just another way for Orbán to absorb power, and limit any freedom, such as universities, that might criticize his beliefs.
Lee Drutman, a political scientist at Johns Hopkins, tweeted, “Anybody serious about commenting on the state of US democracy should start reading more about Hungary.” In fact, Andrew Marantz, a journalist in The New Yorker, featured Mr. Drutman and his tweet in a fantastic piece about the state of Hungary’s autocracy, and how the U.S. might move closer to it than people think. As Marantz argues, while Republicans may not be able to rewrite the constitution, they can exploit existing loopholes, replace state election officials with Party loyalist, submit alternative slates of electors, and pack federal courts with sympathetic judges.
The process in Hungary of limiting opposition is dangerous, and it did not occur overnight — just like a frog that jumps out immediately when entering boiling water, but will not react when put into cooler water that is gradually warming. Right now, in Hungary, that water is nearing boiling temperature.
