Hungarian Politics in 2020

Győri, Gábor and Bíró-Nagy, András and Scheiring, Gábor (2021) Hungarian Politics in 2020. Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Budapest. ISBN HU ISSN 2416-1985

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Abstract

This is a comprehensive overview of recent developments, events and trends in Hungary in 2020, and an outlook on what topics we expect to dominate Hungarian politics in 2021. In particular, we focus on five broad areas, presenting distinct developments in each. In the first section we review the year from the perspective of the Hungarian government, with a special emphasis on the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and how the Orbán government has tried to control the narrative and has used the crisis as a cover to further improve its power position. In the second section we look at the opposition parties, their state and prospects after announcing that they will stand united against Fidesz at the 2022 parliamentary elections. The third section focuses on foreign affairs, in particular the conflict between the Hungarian government and the EU over the rule-of-law mechanism and the next EU budget. In the fourth section, we take a detailed look at how Fidesz's policies have shaped the economy during the Covid-19 crisis. Finally, some key developments of the Hungarian society – media landscape after the takeover of Hungary’s leading online news site, Index; increasing Fidesz control over higher education and culture – are discussed. All of the sections conclude with a brief analysis of the issues which may come to the fore in 2021.

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