Politics and Society in Hungary

Hungary was once a frontrunner of democratization. However, since Viktor Orbán came to power in 2010, the country has been the subject of critical media coverage and concerns due to illiberal policies and anti-EU rhetoric. The book helps to analyze and evaluate the developments by providing relevant case knowledge. It provides sound insights into Hungary's system of government, society, parties and media, as well as selected policy areas. It focuses on how different policy areas have been influenced by the EU, traces important lines of development over the past decades, and compares the findings with other states of the region. The authors' professional expertise and broad knowledge of the political systems of Hungary and Europe provide a well-founded analysis of the developments in the region.

In-depth overview of the Hungarian political system Very good basis to understand Hungary's position in the EU Excellent source of information for comparative studies

Autorentext

Dr. Ellen Bos is Professor of Comparative Politics with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe in the EU and Vice-Rector for Research and Young Researchers at Andrássy University Budapest.

Dr. Astrid Lorenz is Professor of the Political System of Germany and Politics in Europe and Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Philosophy at Leipzig University.

Inhalt

Hungary's political system between party competition and structural constraints: Domestic polarization despite constant patterns of behavior and consensus in the basic lines of foreign and economic policy.- Political system and development of democracy in Hungary: functional deficits and instrumentalization of democratic procedures by the governing parties.- Agony of a young constitutional state. The Hungarian Constitution 1989 to 2019.- Contested Terrain. Politics and the Constitutional Court in Hungary since 1990.- Traditional lines of social conflict and their influences on the Hungarian party system.- Referendums in Hungary: Instrumentalization of direct democracy by (ruling) parties in an increasingly illiberal environment.- Civil society, social movements, and political participation in Hungary: Diverse but weakly organized.- The Political Economy of Hungary: Managing Structural Dependency on the West.- Hungarian Foreign Policy 1990 to 2018: Europeanization without Conviction.- Hungary's Self-Peripherization in the European Union: Background and Prospects.- Hungary's Asylum and Refugee Policy: Change in Three Stages.- Right-Wing Populism and the Free Spirit - On the State of Science in Viktor Orbán's Hungary.- Regional Policy in Hungary: EU Influences and the (Re)Centralized Pursuit of National Priorities.