How the EU made Viktor Orbán

Hungary’s illiberal champion has benefited from the misjudgments and complacency of other leaders

2014 Orbán coined the expression “illiberal democracy”, which would define his fight against the EU’s established political order. 

Germany soon became Hungary’s dominant partner. Orbán wanted to industrialise its economy; Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Opel were happy to oblige, attracted by cheap labour and state subsidies.

2015, when hundreds of thousands of Syrian and Afghan refugees tried to cross Hungary to reach Germany, Orbán built a fence on his border but Merkel welcomed them with open arms. 

That episode was a turning point in the rise of populist movements in Europe.

Western Europe’s leaders completely misread the shock of the refugee crisis on post-communist societies unprepared for multi-ethnic immigration.

Sylvie Kauffmann FT 6 april 2026

The writer is a columnist at Le Monde


Ungrarna verkar vilja ta chansen att bli av med Viktor Orbáns styre i valet den 12 april. Det är förståeligt. Sedan Orbán och hans parti Fidesz tog makten 2010 har de utsatt landet för ett postliberalt experiment som misslyckats på alla områden.

https://englundmacro.blogspot.com/2026/04/7-mars-2026.html


1989 i Budapest, när vad som ännu fanns kvar av den Kadaristiska ordningen nästan dagligen föll sönder, krävde han vid ett massmöte att ryssarna skulle lämna Ungern. 

Jag var där och trodde inte mina öron. Ingen hade offentligt vågat säga något sådant förut. 

Richard Swartz DN 23 mars 2019

https://englundmacro.blogspot.com/2024/01/httpsenglundmacroblogspotcom202204hunga.html


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