When Hungary's parliamentary elections in April 2026 brought an end to sixteen years of Viktor Orbán's government, much of the commentary understandably focused on politics. Analysts tried to explain why an apparently entrenched regime had finally been defeated. They pointed to inflation, corruption, the deterioration of public services, the emergence of a credible opposition, and an unprecedented level of civic mobilization. All of these explanations are important. But in the weeks following the election I found myself returning to a different question. Not what changed during the campaign, but what had already changed inside Hungarian society long before anyone imagined that...
When Hungary's parliamentary elections in April 2026 brought an end to sixteen years of Viktor Orbán's government, much of the commentary understandably focused on politics. Analysts tried to explain why an apparently entrenched regime had finally been defeated. They pointed...