István Hegedűs is the Chairman of the Hungarian Europe Society, an NGO based in Budapest. He holds a Ph. D. in sociology and is a former liberal member of the first free elected Hungarian Parliament (1990-1994) and a former member of the Opposition Roundtable (1989) during the regime-change.
Orbán’s Victory or the Endgame of His Regime?
Hungary held a referendum about the country’s stance towards the refugee crisis and “Brussels”. The outcome turned out to be invalid, but Prime Minister Viktor Orbán declared a victory. The government’s campaign was aggressive and full with negative stereotypes and hatred against migrants. The illiberal Hungarian political regime needs enemies: the relative failure of the referendum might push the top leader to blame and stigmatise new target groups and individuals.
