European People's Party via Flickr
German-Hungarian Relations After Orbán
Speaker:
Zsuzsanna Végh, DAAD/AGI Research Fellow; Program Officer, German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF)
Moderator:
Jeff Rathke, President, American-German Institute
The April 12 parliamentary election in Hungary brought Viktor Orbán’s sixteen-year premiership to an end. This period saw the country become a thorn in the side of the European Union as his Fidesz party radicalized and severed its ties with its traditional mainstream allies, expanding cooperation with far-right forces in Europe and beyond. The incoming government of Péter Magyar, leader of the center-right Tisza party, now offers an opportunity for a reset as Magyar seeks to re-anchor Hungary in the European Union and roll back the changes Orban made to the Hungarian system. Fidesz will not disappear from the political arena: it likely will try to make use of its well-established political and patronage networks to remain influential in Europe and the transatlantic space.
This seminar will explore what can be expected from Hungary’s new government and how its center-right leadership may re-engage with European—particularly German—partners. It will also examine whether Fidesz can maintain a central role within transnational far-right networks and what its electoral defeat signals for the broader transatlantic far-right.
Zsuzsanna Végh is a visiting DAAD/AGI research fellow and program officer with the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) European Resilience program in Berlin. Her research focuses on challenges to liberal democracy in Europe, particularly the rise of the far-right and its influence on EU politics, foreign policy, and democratic governance. She also analyzes democratic backsliding and resilience, with expertise in Central Europe and a particular focus on Hungary.
This in-person event will convene in the AGI conference room. Please contact AGI Program Associate Mr. Jack Fornasiero at jfornasiero@aicgs.org with any questions.
This event is supported with funds from The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF).
Location
American-German Institute
1776 Massachusetts Avenue NW Suite 600 Washington, DC 20036
