Global Manager Luke Riley examines independent Hungarian media’s battle with the increasing overreaching influence of far-right Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s administration, and the rising dangers of right-wing populism during a pandemic.
By Luke Riley
Over the past few weeks, thousands of Hungarians took to the streets in the country’s capital of Budapest to protest Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s crackdown on independent media. Orban continues his crusade against independent media outlets, most recently index.hu, in favor of state controlled media. After the takeover of index.hu’s advertising team by a close ally of Orban and the firing of the organization’s editor-in-chief, many of its journalists resigned in protest.
Viktor Orban Gradually Descends to Authoritarianism
Orban’s interference in index.hu is far from an isolated incident. Orban’s crusade against independent media is a part of a gradual process of democratic backsliding since his election as Prime Minister in 2010.
When Orban came to power, Hungarian democracy was just over 30 years old, and joined the European Union six years prior. Winning the Prime Minister election over the opposing Socialist Party in 2010, Orban boasted ideas of right-wing populism and national conservatism. Known for his controversial statements about liberal democracy, Orban advocated for what he called “an illiberal state.”
Orban’s election brought big changes to the Hungarian government and the health of its democracy. A year after his election, the right-wing supermajority in parliament passed a new constitution containing many controversial new features surrounding civil liberties and electoral reform.
The constitution also gives the Prime Minister more power over the legislative and judicial branches of government, including the power to dissolve parliament if a national budget is not decided on. Orban’s administration passed multiple nationalist reforms since, limiting numbers of immigrants and refugees, limiting independent press and allying with populist leaders from other countries.
For the past decade, it was difficult for the European Union to keep Orban’s administration in check. In September 2018, the European Union voted to crack down on the Hungarian government, claiming that it posed a threat to democracy and the rule of law. As of 2019, Hungary is the only country in the European Union considered by the Freedom House to only be “partly free”.
Coronavirus As a Power Grab
The coronavirus pandemic also only proved to benefit Orban’s move away from democracy. In April, Orban pushed a law that suspended elections and made him able to rule through decree, making him an outright dictator—at least temporarily.
He used this power to his utmost political benefit, seizing funds from political opponents and buying up many of the last remaining independent media outlets in the country. In June, however, the Hungarian parliament voted to end his emergency powers.
Crusading Against Independent Media
Although his outright dictatorial powers have officially ended, Orban shows no sign in stopping his gradual weakening of democracy. In his vision of an “illiberal state,” Orban made clear his desire for state control of media. His interference in index.hu, among many other independent outlets, shows such a vision.
Journalists at formerly independent outlets must choose either to continue working under the influence of Orban’s administration, or, as many have done at Index, resign en masse. Over 70 of Index’s journalists have resigned. Thousands have gathered on the streets of Budapest to protest against the government’s takeover of independent media.
A Lesson to Be Learned
The decline from being a new democracy to regressing back to authoritarianism is a sad tale for Hungary, but not an anomaly. In recent years, governments around the world have shown a troubling trend of shifting from democracy to authoritarianism. Brazil, The Philippines, Poland and Serbia all have similar stories of democratic decline.
The rise of state-controlled media in these countries is a clear indicator of growing authoritarianism and the dropping of a democratic facade. And just like in Hungary, the coronavirus has only benefited authoritarian leaders in these countries by giving them an excuse to increase executive power. By looking at similar stories in all these countries, we can better know when a democratic decline is happening and act before it is too late.