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Volume 14, Issue 1
  • ISSN: 2211-6249
  • E-ISSN: 2211-6257
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Abstract

After 2010, Viktor Orbán and Fidesz, Hungary’s governing party, established a distinctive governmental and social system that has become a reference point for several right-wing politicians internationally. This system draws heavily on the intellectual traditions of mid-twentieth-century Hungarian authoritarian conservatism, as well as on domestic historical fascist and nationalist radical-right ideologies. This article advances two main arguments. First, it examines the predominance of anti-Enlightenment elements within this political system and its underlying ideology, demonstrating that, while the level of aggression may not match that of many historical extreme-right and fascist parties and movements, their ideological roots are similar. Second, it explores how domestic policies intertwine with foreign influences, resulting in a relatively stable—albeit oppressive—ideological and governmental system that also adopts techniques employed by authoritarian leaders elsewhere.

© Anna Unger.
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2025-07-15
2025-12-05
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/content/journals/10.5117/FASC2025.1.005.ZIE
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  • Soort artikel: Research Article
Keyword(s): anti-Enlightenment; authoritarianism; far right; Fidesz; Hungary; populism; post-fascism; Viktor Orbán (1963–)

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