Jaap Hoeksma
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is waging a longstanding battle with the EU. Jaap Hoeksma argues that this clash reflects a fundamental division over the EU's very identity – and Hungary’s forthcoming Presidency of the EU Council, from July–December 2024, will throw this into sharp focus Read more
Gábor Halmai
Hungarian universities are facing increasing interference from government. The recent dismissal of Zoltán Ádám from Corvinus University in Budapest thus signals a worrying erosion of academic autonomy. For Gábor Halmai, Balázs Majtényi, and Andrew Richard Ryder, Ádám's dismissal reflects a pattern. They argue that a broader political agenda is threatening academic freedom, and raising questions about Hungary’s democratic integrity Read more
Barbara Pisciotta
Barbara Pisciotta and Daniela Verena Huber explore how populism fuels societal divisions and provides fertile ground for democratic backsliding. This allows populist leaders to increase their own power at the expense of the opposition Read more
Ezgi Elçi
From Trump's 'Make America Great Again' to Turkey's Ottoman yearning, Ezgi Elçi explores the potent interplay of nostalgia and populism in shaping global politics. He delves into the captivating nexus of past and present, where leaders promise to resurrect authenticity in an era of uncertainty Read more
Kinga Korányi
Viktor Orbán’s annual ‘keynote’ speeches at Băile Tușnad are always controversial. Kinga Korányi argues that this year’s speech, in contrast with all those going back to 2010, should outrage observers less for what he said than for what he omitted: the EU’s withholding of all structural funding to Hungary Read more
Anca Turcu
Populists thrive on being perceived as outsiders. This creates an incentive for mainstream governing populist parties to portray themselves as challengers to the establishment. Anca Turcu examines the tactics Hungary’s and Turkey’s governing populists employ to survive mainstreaming Read more
Mari-Liis Jakobson
Mari-Liis Jakobson encourages to pay attention to transnationalising populism, which allows populists to gain knowledge and catch voters who often fly under the radar Read more
Andrea Pető
Andrea Pető is a gender scholar formerly based at Central European University in Budapest. Following crackdowns on gender studies by Viktor Orbán's government in Hungary, her institution has been forced into exile in Vienna. Here, Andrea breaks down illiberal leaders' specific strategies to undermine academic freedom, and offers suggestions for how academics, and citizens, can resist illiberal attacks on higher education Read more
