Budapest & Esztergom, Hungary — He’s a racist, homophobic, fascist dictator — or so mainstream publications like the New Yorker and Politico allege of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a self-described “illiberal” leader who has insisted that the West is committing suicide through mass immigration, categorically rejected the idea of “gender,” prevented same-sex couples from marrying and adopting, targeted a “shadow army” of publications and activist organizations that receive foreign funds, defended Christianity in the face of continental “Islamization,” and thwarted efforts to admit Ukraine to the European Union. Although Orbán has often been accused of undermining democracy, he might be ejected from office in April after four consecutive terms spanning 15 years.
Less than 40 percent of Hungarians aged 18 to 30 voted for Orbán’s Fidesz party in the 2018 election, and the youth support seems to be dwindling: Challenger Péter Magyar — a former member of Fidesz whose current platform includes reforming health care, improving education, raising the minimum wage, and fighting corruption in Orbán’s “mafia state” — has a savvy media strategy that is gaining followers and attracting young voters.
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