by Samantha Gable | Oct 14, 2020 | Brown University
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is no friend to open democracy as exemplified by his interference with the judicial branch, meddling in elections, and his latest authoritarian actions in response to Covid-19. He has not tried to conceal his efforts to...
by Cristen Canavino | May 6, 2020 | Georgia State University Perimeter College
For most people, it is virtually impossible to view the Coronavirus pandemic as anything but catastrophic, but for Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, the Coronavirus provides him with a unique opportunity to make an authoritarian power grab. From travel...
by Jeremy L | Apr 24, 2020 | Rollins College
With an unprecedented pandemic, decisions made by governments can lead to further democratic backsliding or open the door for increased democratic resilience. It is obvious that no democracy is perfect or reaches the standard of contestation and...
by Robert Wilson | Apr 11, 2020 | American University
Amidst the onset of an economic recession in 2008, the Wall Street Journal quoted former Mayor of Chicago Rahm Emmanual with his now-infamous phrase, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste.” While certainly not his intention, Emmanual’s quote underscores...
by Chloe Rudnicki | Apr 9, 2020 | Boston University
The COVID-19 pandemic is holding up a magnifying glass to the fragility of not only Hungary’s healthcare system but its already besieged democracy. In 2008, far-right populist Viktor Orban captured public sympathy, and Hungary’s highest political office, by exploiting...