Democracy has been in global decline for two decades. Why? Is it because of the emergence of populist leaders? Rising inequalities? The spread of illiberalism? Social media? Identity politics? This book investigates the potential causes while focusing on a peculiar case.
Hungary—a country in East-Central Europe—is unique in that it democratized quickly and thoroughly in 1989–1990, then, after two decades, it turned into an electoral autocracy. A new democratic era could be in the making after the April 2026 election. This book evaluates potential factors involved in these turnarounds by analyzing the post-1989 Hungarian trajectory and comparing it to other countries of the region.
If the dramatic backsliding is connected to social cultural aspects, how could democracy take root after 1989? If constitutional arrangements helped the subsequent autocratization, how was the Hungarian setup different from that in neighboring countries? Did Budapest mismanage the economy? Is Viktor Orbán unique? The findings in this book lead to universal lessons on how to build and protect democracy.
