Hungary under Orban 鈥� The First Ten Years

24 November 2020, 5:00 pm鈥�7:00 pm

Join us for this panel event as part of the SSEES Central Europe Seminar Series

This event is free.

Event Information

Open to: All
Availability: Yes
Cost: Free
Organiser: Central Europe Seminar Series

ssees-events@ucl.ac.uk
Location: Zoom

The parliamentary elections in Hungary in 2010 produced a political earthquake. Viktor Orban became prime minister of a two-party coalition government that obtained two-thirds of the seats in parliament and proceeded to reform the country including rewriting the constitution, altering the electoral system and enacting 鈥榰northodox鈥� economic policies.. It has maintained this legislative zeal following its subsequent victories in 2014 and 2018, while also clashing with the European Union, building alliances with other 鈥榠lliberal鈥檒eaders such as Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, and adopting one of the toughest anti-migrant policies in Europe. By bringing together three experts on Hungary, this seminar will provide an overview of the Orban鈥檚 government policies since 2010 concentrating on foreign policy, the economy and the reasons for Orban鈥檚 electoral success.
Registration is free but essential .

Speakers:

Dr Balazs Szent-Ivanyi of Aston University (UK),

Dr Dora Piroska of the Corvinus University of Budapest, Hungary and the Central European University, Austria and

Dr Thomas Lorman, 果冻影院 SSEES

Chair: Dr Jakub Benes, 果冻影院 SSEES

Dr Balazs Szent-Ivanyi is a political economist with a particular interest in foreign aid. His talk, entitled 鈥�Eastern opening and protecting persecuted Christians. How Viktor Orban instrumentalized foreign policy for domestic purposes鈥� will discuss new trends in Hungarian foreign policy under the government of Viktor Orban. In particular, he will examine the attempt to reorientate foreign policy towards building partnerships with illiberal states in the Middle East and Asia. He will also examine how the Orban government鈥檚 rhetoric of defending Christianity has impacted its foreign policy.

Dr Dora Piroska is 聽a political economist with interests in international and comparative political economy and politics of finance. Her talk, entitled 鈥楨valuating Orban's financial nationalism: countering the structural power of finance while weakening democracy鈥� examines financial nationalism's many unexpected achievements in the context of global financial power. At the same time, the talk will underline an underemphasized critical condition of its advancement, namely diminishing democratic oversight of major financial transformations.

Dr Thomas Lorman is a historian of Central Europe. He has taught at 果冻影院 SSEES since 2010. His talk, entitled 鈥� The creation of a new government party: explaining Orban鈥檚 electoral Ssuccesses鈥� will examine how Orban has created a dominant governing coalition (FIDESZ-KDNP) which has strong similarities with earlier 鈥榞overnment parties鈥� in Hungarian history

果冻影院