Search results for "Illiberalism"
showing 3 items of 3 documents
The symbolic landscape of an illiberal regime: glorifying the interwar era in post-2010 Budapest
2022
Since 2010 the Fidesz party, led by Viktor Orbán, has gradually eroded democratic institutions in Hungary using methods commonly applied by illiberal and authoritarian regimes. Previous studies explored how memory politics play a crucial role in maintaining the populist rhetoric, essential for Fidesz rule. This article aims to shed light on the spatial representation of Fidesz power in urban space. Drawing on the literature of symbolic space appropriation in general and the memory politics of Fidesz in particular, I analyze the transformation of two emblematic, centrally located squares in the capital of Hungary: Liberty and Kossuth Square. I argue that the interventions/transformations of …
Populism and Its Democratic, Non-Democratic, and Anti-Democratic Potential
2017
The starting point of this paper is the acknowledgement that the DNA of populism is democratic. At the same time, it may bring undemocratic or even counter-democratic consequences when it questions and contests liberalism and pluralism. This paper maps the key arguments on the relations between populism and authoritarianism, and discusses the risk of democratic backsliding as a result of authoritarian populism gaining power. This topic is critically important and growing urgent with the rising wave of populism across the Western world. Due to its chameleonic nature, populism (as a "thin-centered" or "empty-hearted" ideology) manifests itself in various (re)incarnations and intertwines with …
Interest Representation Preconditions in Illiberal Poland and Hungary
2022
Poland and Hungary have been widely recognised as countries affected by illiberalism. This has undoubtedly created a challenging environment for interest groups; groups which are a touchstone for the quality of democratic processes. In this article, we aim to understand how preconditions for interest representation have changed due to illiberal drift through the eyes of interest groups operating in these two selected post-communist countries. In order to examine their perception of opportunity structures, interaction infrastructure as well as the level of political coordination under the new circumstances, we rely on quantitative research in the form of a survey carried out among interest g…