As of 2021, Viktor Orbán has been the Prime Minister of Hungary since 2010 and the leader of far-right party Fidesz since 1993. During his first premiership, from 1998 to 2002, he supported democratic rights and norms. But since his return to power, he has governed in an increasingly authoritarian style, changing election laws and replacing independent regulators and judges with loyalists in order to lock in his party’s legal advantages.
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Viktor Orbán Character Timeline in How Democracies Die
The timeline below shows where the character Viktor Orbán appears in How Democracies Die. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Chapter 1: Fateful Alliances
...first. Hitler, Mussolini, and Chávez declared their ambitions through violence, but many don’t. For instance, Viktor Orbán governed Hungary democratically from 1998 to 2002, but became an autocrat after 2010. Citing political...
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Chapter 4: Subverting Democracy
...from punishment and gives them a powerful weapon to use against their opponents. For instance, Viktor Orbán fired independent regulatory officials and hired allies instead. Alberto Fujimori’s advisor Vladimiro Montesinos bribed and...
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...instance, Malaysia’s ruling UMNO party secured the vast majority of parliamentary seats through gerrymandering, and Viktor Orbán changed election laws to ensure that all political advertising ran on his government’s broadcast station....
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