Hungary, Traditionalism, and the Far-Right Ideological

Hungary is a bit of an oddball, isn’t it?

In recent years, the nation experienced an upswing in far-right populist politics quite unlike any other state in the Western Hemisphere. Actually, that’s an understatement; it has actually become the bedrock of the state.

Along with Poland, Hungary is one of the most arch-conservative countries in not just Europe, but perhaps in the entire world as well, at least judging from the populist approval of Orbán, popular sentiment about social conservative issues and the party political makeup of the Hungarian parliament.

The Hungarian Parliament, or rather the National Assembly, as it is known formally, has 199 parliamentary seats in total. Fidesz and its coalition partner, the KDNP, a Christian-democratic party, are represented by 132 MPs, comprising c. 67% of the parliamentary seats. Apart from making up a supra-majority government with its coalition partner, being able to pass any and all resolutions if they’re so inclined, Fidesz could have governed all by themselves, as they alone control 116 seats (58%). In addition they’re supported by the German minority with its single seat.

If that isn’t striking enough, their main opponent is Jobbik, a party of an even more far-right bent, verging on the fascistic, even. It remains the second largest political party in Hungary with its 21 seats (c.11% of the seats). One of the most prominent members of Jobbik, former party leader Gábor Vona, even wrote the preface of a new Hungarian edition of the fascist-in-all-but-name philosopher Evola’s book Revolt Against the Modern World. Did I mention their defunct paramilitary wing, Magyar Gárda? It was first disbanded as late as 2009.

If we combine all of the parliamentary seats held by the conservatively tinted Hungarian political parties, we end up with a sum total of 154 seats. That’s an overwhelming 77% majority, all-conservative!

The demagogic rhetoric of Orbán doesn’t amount to much of anything: labourers in Hungarian car factories are routinely subjected to fierce exploitation, inadequate wages and poor working conditions as a result of the covert neoliberal policies of the Orbán administration. In recent years, the Hungarian government has invited German automobile manufacturers to relocate to a reasonably nearby European country with assured promises of a cheap and compliant workforce not liable to pose deterrent labour union demands. In reality, the workers are only willing to work out of troubling necessity, not due to an actual choice in the matter over their socioeconomic circumstances.

Apart from the outsourcing scheme, Orbán has taken advantage of the coronavirus pandemic over the past year, which has reached a national death toll of 100 people daily, by legally entrenching his authoritative powers during the justified shutdown by further increasing control over his populace by enforcing restrictions and augmenting state power.

Fidesz remains in as firm control over their power base as ever, continuing to bolster their majority with every new parliamentary election. It seems that Hungary, as an ardently Catholic, socially conservative and immigrant-skeptic country, is likely to stand as a bastion of arch-conservative politics for decades to come, unless a radical swing in the popular consciousness takes place.

However, considering the fact that Orban has amended the constitution on several occasions already to render the Parliament ineffectual and to concentrate power in his own executive branch, he will likely remain a stayer for now. It also doesn’t inspire confidence that he has increased his term limit indefinitely. Over the past year, a law was passed that lets him rule by decree and recently he’s proposed to change the electoral law to make it harder for opponents to gain ground in the parliament.

Meanwhile, the populace will continue to suffer under the pervasive detrimental effects of political corruption, neglect of public services, the institutional decline of democracy, the ongoing trampling on the rights of transsexuals and gays as well as generally ignoring the legitimate grievances of the population itself.