Alles bloß ein Missverständnis? „Ungarn verstehen“-Literatur als Reframing-Versuch der „Ära Orbán“
Just a misunderstanding? “Understanding Hungary” literature as an attempt to reframe the “Orbán era”

Summary/Abstract: The article analyses “understanding Hungary” literature in the German-speaking book market as a strategic attempt to reframe German perceptions of the Orbán era. Focusing on Bence Bauer’s “Ungarn ist anders” (Hungary is Different, 2023) and Werner J. Patzelt’s “ Ungarn verstehen” (Understanding Hungary, 2023), it examines how these works reinterpret common criticisms of Viktor Orbán’s government through specific framing techniques. Drawing on framing theory, the study shows how narratives of cultural difference, national sovereignty, and external threat construct a dichotomy between “Hungary” and “the West,” while portraying criticism as misunderstanding or bias. Both authors employ rhetorical strategies that relativize democratic concerns – such as corruption or rule-of-law issues – by embedding them in alternative interpretive frameworks or presenting them as competing “truths.” The analysis situates these publications within a broader communication net-work linked to pro-government institutions, highlighting their role in shaping discourse in German-speaking contexts. Ultimately, the author argues that this literature functions as a coordinated reframing effort that stabilizes and legitimizes Orbán’s influence internationally – even after his electoral defeat in April 2026.

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