The Rise of the Radical Right in Hungary: An Analysis of its Causes, Policies, and Effects on European Multilateralism
Keywords:
Radical right, Hungary, Illiberal democracy, Nationalism, European UnionAbstract
This article analyzes the rise of the radical right in Hungary, led by Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, in a context of economic crisis, migration, and rising nationalism. It examines the political, economic, and social causes that have fostered the emergence of a populist, Eurosceptic, and illiberal discourse that questions traditional democratic principles and promotes the European Union. The implementation of restrictive public policies regarding human rights, justice, and press freedom, along with a firm stance against migration and external influences, has transformed the country's political and social landscape. These actions have had a considerable impact on European multilateralism, generating tensions with the European Union and weakening the values of cooperation and solidarity within the bloc. The analysis reveals that the resurgence of nationalism in Hungary and the adoption of the illiberal democracy model act as mechanisms for consolidating power and resisting the external pressures considered by Orbán. Overall, the study contributes to an understanding of the dynamics driving the expansion of the radical right in Hungary and its impact on the European multilateral system.
Downloads
References
Agoston, G. (2024). Playing on distance: a relational rhetorical analysis of Viktor Orbán's Euroscepticism. East European Politics, 40(2), 256-276. https://doi.org/10.1080/21599165.2023.2261129.
Amnistía Internacional (13 de junio de 2017). Hungría: Ley sobre ONG, un ataque despiadado y calculado contra la sociedad civil. https://www.amnesty.org/es/latest/press-release/2017/06/hungary-ngo-law-a-vicious-and-calculated-assault-on-civil-society/.
Antón Mellón, J., y Hernández-Carr, A. (2016). El crecimiento electoral de la derecha radical populista en Europa: parámetros ideológicos y motivaciones sociales. Política y Sociedad, 1(53), 17-28. http://hdl.handle.net/2445/107688.
Antón Mellón, J., y Boado, I. S. (2023). La teoría política de la derecha radical. Revista de Estudios Globales. Análisis histórico y cambio social, 2(4), 61-99 https://doi.org/10.6018/reg.559591.
Bajomi-Lázár, P. (2019). An anti-migration campaign and its impact on public opinion: The Hungarian case. European Journal of Communication, 34(6), 619-628. https://doi.org/10.1177/0267323119886152.
Benedek, I. (2024). Transforming the political public sphere: the media system of the Orbán regime in Hungary. Partecipazione e Conflitto, 17(2), 469-489. https://doi.org/10.1285/i20356609v17i2p469.
Benková, L. (2019). Hungary-Orbán’s Project towards “illiberal democracy”. AIES Fokus, 2, 1-4. https://www.aies.at/download/2019/AIES-Fokus-2019-02.pdf.
Bíró-Nagy, A. (2017). Illiberal democracy in Hungary: The social background and practical steps of building an illiberal state. En P. Morillas I Bassedas (coord.), Illiberal democracies in the EU: The Visegrad Group and the risk of disintegration (pp. 31-44). Monografías CIDOB. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-30792-8_4.
Bocskor, Á. (2018). Anti-immigration discourses in Hungary during the ‘Crisis’ year: The Orbán government’s ‘National Consultation’ Campaign of 2015. Sociology, 52(3), 551-568. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038518762081.
Brunning, A. (18 de abril de 2017). Hungary’s “Let’s Stop Brussels” campaign: Propaganda and xenophobia masquerading as consultation. Medium. https://medium.com/@ndbrning/hungarys-let-s-stop-brussels-campaign-propaganda-and-xenophobia-masquerading-as-consultation-4b4181116c5e.
Buštíková, L. (2018). The Radical Right in Eastern Europe. En J. Rydgren (Ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Radical Right (pp. 565-581). Oxford Handbooks. https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780190274559.013.28.
Clinch, M (3 de abril de 2022). Nationalist Viktor Orban declares victory in Hungary election. CNBC. https://www.cnbc.com/2022/04/03/hungary-election-prime-minister-viktor-orban-and-fidesz-in-nationwide-vote.html.
Consejo Europeo (s/f). Cronología: el artículo 7 hasta el momento. https://www.consilium.europa.eu/es/policies/article-7-procedures/timeline-the-story-of-article-7/.
Csanyi, P., & Kucharčík, R. (2023). Central European leaders’ attitudes towards the migration and the migration crisis. J. Compar. Pol, 16, 20-37. https://www.magyc.uliege.be/upload/docs/application/pdf/2023-05/paper_3_euba-csanyi-kucharcik_v1.pdf.
Deák, A., Szabo, J., y Weiner, C. (2024). Russia's gas weapon in Central and Eastern Europe: Diverging responses from three friendly states. En M. Mišík y A. Figulová (Eds.), EU Energy and Climate Policy after COVID-19 and the Invasion of Ukraine (pp. 119-137). Routledge. https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9781032624839-9/russia-gas-weapon-central-eastern-europe-andr%C3%A1s-de%C3%A1k-john-szabo-csaba-weiner.
Deutsche Welle. (15 de diciembre de 2023). Hungría bloquea ayuda a Ucrania por 50.000 millones de euros. https://www.dw.com/es/hungr%C3%ADa-bloquea-ayuda-a-ucrania-por-50000-millones-de-euros/a-67726955.
Düvell, F. (2011). Paths into Irregularity: The Legal and Political Construction of Irregular Migration. European Journal of Migration and Law, 13(3), 275-295. https://doi.org/10.1163/157181611X587856.
Éltető, A., y Szemlér, T. (2023). Hungary in the European Union–cooperation, peacock dance and autocracy. Comparative Southeast European Studies, 71(3), 272-299. https://doi.org/10.1515/soeu-2022-0051.
Fekete, L. (2016). Hungary: power, punishment and the ‘Christian-national idea’. Race & Class, 57(4), 39-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0306396815624607.
Furedi, F. (2017). Populism and the European Culture Wars: The Conflict of Values between Hungary and the EU. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315104898.
Garding, S. E., Ratner, M., Welt, C., y Zanotti, J. (2021). TurkStream: Russia's Newest Gas Pipeline to Europe. Current Politics and Economics of Russia, Eastern and Central Europe, 36(4), 591-597.
Gárdos-Orosz, F., y Szente, Z. (2024). The role of populist NGOs in building a populist democracy in Hungary. International Journal of Law in Context, 20(3), 346-359. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1744552324000259.
Gáspár, T., Sass, M., Koppány, K., y Bi, S. (2023). Foreign trade relations of Hungary with China: A global value chain perspective. Society and Economy, 45(3), 229-249. https://doi.org/10.1556/204.2023.00018.
Gawron-Tabor, K. (2016). Viktor Orban’s illiberal democracy in the indices of the quality of democracy. Kultura i Edukacja, 114(4), 46-62. http://dx.doi.org/10.15804/kie.2016.04.03.
Glied, V., y Pap, N. (2016). The ‘Christian fortress of Hungary’–The anatomy of the migration crisis in Hungary. Yearbook of Polish European Studies, (19), 133-149. https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=573984.
González Cámara, N. (2010). De indeseables a Ilegales: una aproximación a la irregularidad migratoria. Arbor, 186(744), 671-687. https://doi.org/10.3989/arbor.2010.744n1225.
Greilinger, G. (2023). Hungary’s Eastern Opening Policy as a Long-Term Political-Economic Strategy. Austria institute fur Europa–und sicheheitspolitik. AIES Fokus, 4, 1-5. https://www.aies.at/download/2023/AIES-Fokus-2023-04.pdf.
Guibernau, M. (2010). Migration and the rise of the radical right. Policy network, 1, 1-19. https://esquerraeuropea.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/migrationandradicalright.pdf.
GulácsiI, G., y Kerényi, Á. (2023). Hungary and the European Union: the drift towards disintegration. Perspectives on Federalism, 15(1-2), 1-53. https://real.mtak.hu/185600/.
Haitas, D. (2018). Aspects of Hungary-Russia Energy Relations in the Context of European Union Law. Jura: A Pecsi Tudomanyegyetem Allam-es Jogtudomanyi Karanak Tudomanyos Lapja, 368-377.
Hanebrink, P. (2024). The whiteness of ‘Christian Europe’: The case of Hungary. En Off white: Central and Eastern Europe and the Global History of Race (pp. 215-235). Manchester University Press.
Héjj, D. (2022). The Paks nuclear power plant and Hungary's attitude to the European Green Deal. En M. Ruszel y A. Witkowska (Eds.), Polish-Hungarian Cooperation for Energy Security in the context of Energy Transition and Economy Competitiveness, (pp. 68-85). Ignacy Lukasiewicz Institute for Energy Policy. https://www.instytutpe.pl/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Ebook-Polish-Hungarian-Cooperation-for-Energy-Security-in-the-context-of-Energy-Transition-and-Economy-Competitiveness1.pdf#page=69.
Hungarian Government (26 de julio de 2014). Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Speech at
the 25th Bálványos Summer Free University and Student Camp. https://2015-
2019.kormany.hu/en/the-prime-minister/the-prime-minister-s-speeches/primeminister-
viktor-orban-s-speech-at-the-25th-balvanyos-summer-free-universityand-
student-camp.
Ilikova, L., y Tushev, A. (2020). Right-Wing Populism in Central Europe: Hungarian
Case (Fidesz, Jobbik). Utopía y praxis Latinoamericana, 25(12), 325-332.
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4280161.
Ilonszki, G., y Jáger, K. (2013). Hungary: Changing government advantages–challenging
a dominant executive. En B. E. Rasch y G. Tsebelis (Eds.) The Role of
Governments in Legislative Agenda Setting (pp. 95-110). Routledge.
https://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/edit/10.4324/9780203837429-
6/hungary-gabriella-ilonszki-krisztina-j%C3%A1ger.
Juhász, A., Hunyadi, B., y Zgut, E. (2015). Focus on Hungary: Refugees, Asylum and
Migration. Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. https://www.boell.de/sites/default/files/2015-
focus-on-hungary_refugees_asylum_migration.pdf.
Kim, S. (2023). ‘Illiberal Democracy’ after Post‐Democracy: Revisiting the Case of
Hungary. The Political Quarterly, 94(3), 437-444. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-
923X.13255.
Lasonczi, M. (22 de abril de 2024). Viktor Orbán’s Speech on Illegal Immigration Goes
Viral on X. Hungarian Conservative.
https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/current/viktor-orban_illegalimmigration_
speech_natcon_2024_viral_x_twitter/.
Lutz, P. (2018). Variation in policy success: radical right populism and migration policy.
West European Politics, 42(3), 517–544.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01402382.2018.1504509.
Magalhães, P. C., y Garoupa, N. (2024). Populist governments, judicial independence,
and public trust in the courts. Journal of European Public Policy, 31(9), 2748-
2774. https://doi.org/10.1080/13501763.2023.2235386.
Magyar Nemzet (15 de noviembre de 2025) Viktor Orban Beats Peter Magyar in
Popularity. https://magyarnemzet.hu/english/2025/11/viktor-orban-beats-petermagyar-
in-popularity.
Miller, N. (19 de marzo de 2019). 'The Great Replacement': an idea now at the heart of
Europe's politics. The Sydney Morning Herald.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/the-great-replacement-the-racist-ideanow-
at-the-heart-of-europe-s-politics-20190319-p515cc.html.
Minkenberg, M. (2017). The radical right in Eastern Europe: Democracy under siege?
Springer.
Moldicz, C. (2023). Hungary political briefing: Migration policy in Hungary. China-CEE
Institute, 67(1). https://china-cee.eu/wpcontent/
uploads/2023/12/2023p11_Hungary.pdf.
Molnár, G. (2023). Nationalism and sport intersection in Hungary: building fences,
expanding nationhood. National Identities, 25(4), 305–322.
https://doi.org/10.1080/14608944.2023.2188584.
Muis, J., & Immerzeel, T. (2017). Causes and consequences of the rise of populist radical
right parties and movements in Europe. Current Sociology, 65(6), 909-930.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0011392117717294.
Müller, P., Slominski, P. (2024). Hungary, the EU and Russia’s War Against Ukraine: The
Changing Dynamics of EU Foreign Policymaking. En C. Wiesner y M. Knodt
(Eds.), The War Against Ukraine and the EU. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35040-5_6.
Mundy, J. (2023). The Power of the Press: State Capture of the Media in Poland and
Hungary Since 2010. The Journal of Foreign Affairs at Carolina, 8(2), 8-17.
https://doi.org/10.17615/5pk5-a152.
Neumann, E. (2023). Education for a Christian nation: Religion and nationalism in the
Hungarian education policy discourse. European Educational Research Journal,
22(5), 646-665. https://doi.org/10.1177/14749041211072691.
Norris, P., & Inglehart, R. F. (2012). Muslim Integration into Western Cultures: Between
Origins and Destinations. Political Studies, 60(2), 228-251.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9248.2012.00951.x.
Oleinikova, O. (2023). New Eastern European Migration to Australia: From Czech
Republic, Hungary and Ukraine to Sydney and Beyond. Springer Nature.
Oxford Analytica. (2023). Hungary’s ties with Russia and China bring nothing new.
Expert Briefings. https://doi.org/10.1108/OXAN-ES282866.
Prokopijević, M. (2010). Euro Crisis. Panoeconomicus, 57(3), 369–384.
https://doi.org/10.2298/PAN1003369P.
Pytlas, B. (2013). Radical-right narratives in Slovakia and Hungary: historical legacies,
mythic overlaying and contemporary politics. Patterns of Prejudice, 47(2), 162–
183. https://doi.org/10.1080/0031322X.2013.786199.
Reményi, P., Glied, V., y Pap, N. (2023). Good and Bad migrants in Hungary. The populist
story and the reality in Hungarian migration policy. Social Policy Issues, 59(4),
323-344. https://doi.org/10.31971/pps/162003.
Rodrik, D. (2021). Why does globalization fuel populism? Economics, culture, and the
rise of right-wing populism. Annual Review of Economics, 13(1), 133-170.
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-economics-070220-032416.
Rohac, D. (2023). Transitions, populism, and democratic decline: Evidence from
Hungary and the Czech Republic. European Politics and Society, 24(2), 169-187.
https://doi.org/10.1080/23745118.2021.1973213.
Rubin, S. (2021). Anti-Democratic Politics in Hungary: Viktor Orbán and “Illiberal
Democracy”. Scrowcroft Institute of International Affairs, (20). 1-20.
https://bush.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Suleiman-Paper-No.-20.pdf.
Sata, R. (2023). Performing crisis to create your enemy: Europe vs. the EU in Hungarian
populist discourse. Frontiers in Political Science, 5.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2023.1032470.
Scheppele, K. L., Kochenov, D. V., y Grabowska-Moroz, B. (2020). EU values are Law,
after All: Enforcing EU Values through Systemic Infringement Actions by the
European Commission and the Member States of the European Union. Yearbook
of European Law, 39, 3-121. https://doi.org/10.1093/yel/yeaa012.
Szabó, A., y Mikecz, D. (2015). After the Orbán-revolution: the awakening of civil
society in Hungary. En G. Pleyers y I. N. Sava (Eds.), Social Movements in
Central and Eastern Europe: A renewal of protests and democracy (pp. 34-43).
Editura Universității din București.
Swissinfo (28 de noviembre de 2025). Orbán le dice a Putin que la seguridad energética
de Hungría depende de suministros rusos.
https://www.swissinfo.ch/spa/orb%C3%A1n-le-dice-a-putin-que-la-seguridadenerg%
C3%A9tica-de-hungr%C3%ADa-depende-de-suministrosrusos/
90546283.
Szalai, A., y Gőbl, G. (2015). Securitizing migration in contemporary Hungary. CEU
Center for EU Enlargement Studies.
https://cens.ceu.edu/sites/cens.ceu.edu/files/attachment/event/573/szalaigoblmigrationpaper.
final.pdf.
Thomázy, G. (2025). Las reformas políticas en Hungría (2010-2024): impactos en la
democracia húngara. Política y Sociedad, 62(2).
https://dx.doi.org/10.5209/poso.99152.
Timmer, A. D., y Docka-Filipek D, D. (2018). Enemies of the nation: Understanding the
Hungarian State’s relationship to humanitarian NGOs. Journal of International
and Global Studies, 9(2), 40-57. https://doi.org/10.62608/2158-0669.1401.
Toomey, M. (2018). History, nationalism and democracy: myth and narrative in Viktor
Orbán's ‘Illiberal Hungary’. New Perspectives, 26(1), 87-108.
https://doi.org/10.1177/2336825X1802600110.
Tribunal de Justicia de la UE (2025). El Tribunal de Justicia anula la Decisión de la
Comisión por la que se aprobó la ayuda de Hungría a la central nuclear Paks II
(Comunicado de Prensa n.º 116/25). https://curia.europa.eu/jcms/upload/docs/application/pdf/2025-
09/cp250116es.pdf.
Tyszka, F. (2024). No Worries for Fidesz After All These Years? Domestic and
International Opposition to Governing Populists in Hungary. En A. K. Bourne
(Ed.), Democratic Defence as Normal Politics (pp. 123-146). Palgrave
Macmillan, Cham. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-031-60483-
6_5.
Végh, Z. (2015). Hungary’s “Eastern Opening” policy toward Russia: ties that bind?
International issues & Slovak foreign policy Affairs, 24(01-02), 47-65.
https://www.ceeol.com/search/article-detail?id=298726.
Wagner, F., y Enyedi, Z. (2024). They can do it. Positive Authoritarianism in Poland and
Hungary. Frontiers in Political Science, 6.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpos.2024.1390587.
Walter, S. (2021). The Backlash Against Globalization. Annual Review of Political
Science, 24(1), 421-442. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-polisci-041719-102405.
Wang, X. (2023). Is China's rising presence in Hungary since 2012 impacting on
Hungary's relations with the EU? Australian and New Zealand Journal of
European Studies, 15(1), 47-63.
https://doi.org/10.30722/anzjes.vol15.iss1.17365.
Zakaria, F. (1997). The rise of illiberal democracy. Foreign Affairs, 76 (6), 22-43.
https://msuweb.montclair.edu/~lebelp/fzakariailliberaldemocracy1997.pdf.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
