Illiberal democracy
is a set-up, such as Hungary, in which democracy prevails, but without the stultifying carapace of liberal (or “liberal”) pieties and prejudices.
The juristocratic turn in Europe is a particular challenge to conservative parties, a part of the political spectrum traditionally attached to the authority of politics, and the customs and cultural heritage of society.
However widespread the international backlash regarding Hungary’s new anti-paedophilia law may be, many political figures voiced their support across Europe and America.
Today, the two major contexts of Hungarian foreign policy are determined by the evolution of the Hungarian economy and society after the economic restart and reconstruction, along with the surrounding international relations.
It seems that elected Hungarian leaders on the liberal end of the political spectrum hold others to a different standard than themselves.
‘Anyone who visits Hungary can witness a blooming, flourishing Jewish life, with rich festivals, lively cultural events, active social participation.’
The elements of the family support system have been expanding year by year. Nonetheless, the most important among these is the family-friendly mentality, which—slowly but steadily—is taking shape in Hungary.
The real change in the relations between the two countries date back to the early 2010s when such international and domestic events occurred which brought the two states, or rather its two leaders closer to each other than ever.
Despite the hardships and the often politically motivated, reckless critics, Hungary’s strategy including opening to the East for procuring vaccine can be considered a successful, necessary and timely move of the government which put Hungary a step ahead in the EU in terms of inoculation with 44.6 per cent of its population vaccinated, compared to the EU’s 26.5 per cent average.
The societal offensive undertaken by the European Commission must be contextualized within a more subtle mutation, implicit in the recent history of the Old Continent.
Hungarian Conservative is a quarterly magazine on contemporary political, philosophical and cultural issues from a conservative perspective.
