#Autocracy

News

The Defeat of Viktor Orbán’s Mafia State: Why Orbán Had to Relinquish Power—and What Other Opposition Movements Can Learn from Péter Magyar

Viktor Orbán’s removal from power did not occur because his regime suddenly became democratic: it happened because he lacked the capacity to deploy violence against already mobilized masses in the face of a devastating electoral defeat. In the second part of their two-part analysis, Bálint Madlovics and Bálint Magyar explain why the mafia state ultimately proved unable to escalate coercion further—and what democratic opposition movements elsewhere may learn from the Hungarian case.

29.05.2026

News

The Return of Dictatorship – Grzegorz Ekiert and Noah Dasanaike on Dictatorial Drift, Autocracy Promotion and Strategies to Oppose Them

In this conversation, Grzegorz Ekiert and Noah Dasanaike explain their concept of dictatorial drift and how various countries have moved toward full autocracy in recent years; discuss new features of dictatorships in the early 21st century and how such regimes relate to each other; consider whether it makes sense to compare the growing trend of autocracy promotion with democracy promotion; and reflect on how full autocracies might be opposed more effectively in the future.

2.12.2024