Viktor Orbán is trying to stay in power by stifling hope and promoting fear
US President Donald Trump has made no secret of his high regard for Orban, saying in a social media post on Friday that the prime minister had produced “phenomenal” results in Hungary.
But Orban, 62, has a fight on his hands for the April 12 legislative elections in Hungary. Polls suggest his Fidesz party is trailing opposition leader Peter Magyar’s TISZA.
“I can say to you with confidence that President Trump is deeply committed to your success because your success is our success,” Rubio said during a joint press conference with Orban after their meeting. [Continue reading…]
Orbán’s campaign narrative now rests on the boast that he is simultaneously on good terms with the leaders of the United States, Russia and China. In a world of strongmen, Hungary needs a leader who can sit at their table.
Expect Trump’s name to feature increasingly in the campaign as Orbán seeks to reinforce the claim that he – and only he – has the ear of the world’s most powerful leaders. His recent White House audience was proof of international relevance and this weekend’s visit of Marco Rubio to Budapest will only reinforce that narrative.
What is striking about this campaign is that Fidesz, Orbán’s party, is no longer asking voters to reward it for a record of good governance. Rather, it is warning people that however dissatisfied they may be, Hungary could be a lot worse off. The aim is not to mobilise hope, but to suppress it – to make sure voters see the ballot box not as an opportunity for change, but as a risk. [Continue reading…]