Why the Right Is Drawn to Hungary

Tablet ^ | 4/17/25 | Gadi Taub

[EnderWiggin1970]

Earlier this month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had a high-profile meeting with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán, in Budapest. Argentina’s libertarian president, Javier Milei, has called Orbán his “comrade in this fight for the ideas of freedom,” and Italy’s Giorgia Meloni is Orbán’s “Christian sister.” Last year, Donald Trump hosted the Hungarian leader three times at Mar-a-Lago. How did this one country in Europe become a beacon for right-wing ideas—and leaders—around the world?

Once upon a time, Hungary was the poster child of “regime change”—the peaceful transition from communism to democracy. The process was indeed peaceful. But was it really such a change? The transition was managed by the communist ancien régime, and its goal was to preserve power for its elite while pretending to strive for national consensus. The communists recast their image by manipulating the historical record, beginning with the uprising of 1956.

Everything important in Hungarian political life, it seems, goes back one way or another to that year, when the popular rebellion against the brutal dictatorship erected by the Stalinist boss of the Hungarian Communist Party, Mátyás Rákosi (born Rosenfeld), was ruthlessly suppressed by Soviet arms. The failed revolution would become ground zero for the competing narratives of the different political camps. Even Hungary’s transition to democracy in 1989 turned out to be about 1956.

[EnderWiggin1970]

Tablet produces a lot of unusually thoughtful and deep articles by Jewish authors, and this one is no exception.

[EnderWiggin1970]

"The pendulum swung back to the nationalist side four years later in 1998. This time it was Viktor Orbán’s party, Fidesz, not the MDF, that led the coalition. But the shift was short-lived. After four years in power, Orbán’s right-wing coalition lost once more to the socialists and their liberal allies. But the reason for Orbán’s 2002 defeat, he came to realize, was not the rejection of his policies. Rather, it was the choke hold of former communists on so many extra-governmental centers of power that restricted his ability to govern, and, crucially, gave him constant negative press coverage. “Between 1998 and 2002 we were in government,” Orbán would later say, “but not in power.”"

Goodness, this is the European version of just what Trump experienced. Which means Orban might be farther along in understanding just what needs to be done to finally defeat the Deep State opposing them both.

[Worldtraveler once upon a time]

Towards the end, "The rise of an anti-democratic form of transnational progressivism...."

Simple, when not swimming in constantly changing terms. Freedom versus "transnational, anti-democratic progrssivism."

The NDSAP and the international Communists ( " sweeping the world" from that Marxist perspective ) were not "right" versus "left" but power versus power.

Our Republic has attempted to preserve that balance between local and national, and pushed against the international forms of power. Here as in Israel, the transnational progressives want to dissolve our liberty under the same old "global" banner of power.

[SkyDancer]

Mert Magyarország egy jobboldali keresztény ország.

[Twotone]

And the evil George Soros raises his ugly head here. When will that man shuffle off this mortal coil?

[AlaskaErik]

Rather, it was the choke hold of former communists on so many extra-governmental centers of power that restricted his ability to govern, and, crucially, gave him constant negative press coverage. “Between 1998 and 2002 we were in government,” Orbán would later say, “but not in power.”

The same can be said for Trump 45...in government, but not in power. Between Democrats and the deep state bureaucracy they had a chokehold on power. But the years of being out of government gave both Orban and Trump an opportunity to regroup and come up with a plan to defeat their opponents when they reentered office.

[tired&retired]

Hungary has a large Jewish population. I stayed in the Jewish quarter in Budapest recently and it was crowded and busy.

Orban shares the distrust and dislike for Muslims that Israel has. They lived under Muslim rule for 150 years.

Muslim rule in Hungary was not completely extinguished until 1718, with the signing of the Treaty of Passarowitz. Transylvania and Western/Central Hungary, including Buda, were liberated earlier, primarily in 1686. By the Treaty of Carlowitz (1699), the Ottoman Empire relinquished most of the Kingdom of Hungary, but some border regions were still under Ottoman control until 1718.

Hungary remembers.

[dfwgator]

Mert Magyarország egy jobboldali keresztény ország.

For that, I'll need my Hungarian phrasebook...

[decal]

‘My eel is full of hovercrafts....wait, hold on...”

[SkyDancer]

Mert anyai ágon magyar zsidó vagyok.

And no eels either :D

[chajin]

It could be that most of the other nations of Europe are filled with Muslim pests, while Hungary has avoided the Quranic invasion, and so only has a Budapest.

[NavyShoe]

I see the parallels in the United States, and I wonder what will be post Trump 47.

[No name given]

Hopefully soon.

[nopardons]

I haven't read the article, just the blurb; however, I doubt that the FACTUAL history/WHAT Hungarians have ALWAYS wanted, re politics/leaders has even been hinted at.

The thing is, Hungary has been over run/conquered by many different outsiders for millennia. In more modern times they lived under subjugation by the Ottoman Turks, the Hapsburgs, the Nazis, and the Commies. What they have yearned for is self rule and FREEDOM! One of Petofi Sandor's ( that's Sandor [ Alexander] in English and Petofi was his LAST NAME, but that's how Hungarians do it it ) most iconic poems ends with the line:"HUNGARIANS NEVER SHALL BE SLAVES!". Sadly that has been the case for much more than 100 years after that was written.

Today, with Orban as their leader, the Hungarians live in a far more stable and free country than the Brits, the French, the Germans, and many others.

[nopardons]

Hungary has had a pretty large Jewish population for a very long time, except for the damned Nazi period, when many were rounded up and killed.

Before that happened, many fled and/or were helped to flee by the American film industry.

[nopardons]

The ONLY good thing that came out of the horrible Ottoman rule was PAPRIKA!

And yes, Hungarians do NOT forget and still HATE the damned Muslims!

[dfwgator]

Hungary never participated in the Holocaust, the Germans took over the country in 1944 and that’s when the Hungarian Jews were sent to the death camps.

[EnderWiggin1970]

One of Gadi’s other articles dealt with Netanyahu’s battle with the Israeli version of the Deep State; this is a battle happening everywhere where rightwing/populist/anti-Deep State forces are challenging globalist rule.

[nopardons]

Yes, I know, except for GEORGE SOROS...THE POS NAZI LOVER.

[sauropod]

Bkmk