Hungary after the General Elections. Down the Road of Autocratisation?
Hungary after the General Elections. Down the Road of Autocratisation?

Summary/Abstract: On 3 April 2022, Hungarians elected a new parliament and cast their vote in the so-called “child protection referendum”. The elections, however, brought no change. While the government parties Fidesz and KDNP secured a two-thirds majority in parliament for the fourth time in a row since 2010, the united opposition alliance United for Hungary fell short of all expectations and suffered a considerable defeat. Hopes that the increasingly eurosceptic and authoritarian government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán would be replaced by a pro-European and pro-democratic government, have thus been shattered. The composition of the new government, a further concentration of power in the hands of the prime minister and the government’s first actions suggest the continuation of political trends of the previous three electoral cycles. While further pressure on democratic forces can be expected, it is nevertheless unlikely that Hungary will fully go down the road of autocratisation. Severe tensions with the European Union over the rule of law and democracy will, however, continue.

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