Hungary’s Illiberal Transformation under Fidesz

Hungary represents one of the clearest and most consequential cases of democratic backsliding within the European Union. Since 2010, the country has undergone a sustained process of autocratization under the leadership of Fidesz and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, resulting in the transformation of Hungary from a liberal democracy into an electoral autocracy. This paper analyzes this trajectory through a combined supply-side, impact-oriented, and demand-side perspective, demonstrating how an illiberal offer, institutional engineering, policy transformation, and societal support have jointly enabled the consolidation of the illiberal rule of the Hungarian Civic Alliance (Fidesz). On the supply side, Hungary’s illiberal turn builds on long-standing historical legacies of restricted pluralism and polarized party competition. Fidesz’s gradual ideological transformation—from liberal youth movement to dominant illiberal force—allowed it to absorb much of the radical right agenda while marginalizing competitors. Since 2010, the party has articulated a coherent model of “illiberal conservatism” that blends nationalism, Christian identity politics, and paternalist social policy with open rejection of liberal constitutionalism. This ideological project has been reinforced by Fidesz’s growing role in transnational illiberal networks and its increasingly confrontational stance toward the European Union. In terms of impact, Fidesz has systematically dismantled institutional checks and balances through constitutional change, electoral engineering, and the politicization of state institutions. Media pluralism has been severely curtailed, civil society organizations have been stigmatized and constrained, and emergency powers have normalized executive rule by decree. Illiberal governance has also reshaped key policy domains—including migration, welfare, gender, education, and culture—embedding an exclusionary vision of citizenship and social deservingness into state practice. Crucially, these developments are underpinned by significant societal support. Demand-side analysis shows that large segments of the electorate prioritize stability, sovereignty, and material security over liberal-democratic norms. Illiberal and majoritarian attitudes are widespread, while “culture war” issues play a central mobilizing role. Together, these dynamics explain the resilience of Hungary’s illiberal regime despite persistent domestic and international criticism.