Paul Lendvai
The Transformer
Orban’s Evolution and Hungary’s Demise
Foreign Affairs, 2019
What's inside?
Hungarian strongman Viktor Orban has evolved from a liberal reformer to an illiberal autocrat.
Recommendation
Hungary’s strongman Viktor Orban is known for his fiery populism and ruthless crackdowns on the nation’s judiciary, independent media and intellectuals. Yet 30 years ago, no one could have foreseen that a man who started his political career as a champion of democracy and liberal reforms would be touted as a dangerous authoritarian. Orban’s biographer Paul Lendvai details this political metamorphosis in a Foreign Affairs essay that will be of interest to anyone trying to make sense of the rise of right-wing populism in Europe.
Summary
About the Author
Paul Lendvai is a Hungarian-born journalist and the author of Orban: Hungary’s New Strongman.
Comment on this summary