The Politics of Populism in Hungary

Description

The book assesses the development of the Orbán regime in Hungary after 2010 through analyzing the polity-politics-policy impacts from a perspective of populism as an ideology focusing on discourse and actual decisions. By closely scrutinizing political narratives, actual decisions and survey data, this volume offers a systematic analysis of the impact of populism on the polity-politics-policy aspects of the political in Hungary after 2010. It analyzes the uses of constitutionalism and discriminatory legalism, the changes in the quality of democracy, the government’s relationship with media and journalism, its influence over the party system and EU politics, and its approach to family and cultural policies. While each chapter in the volume describes the findings in response to the corresponding literature highlighting the added value of the individual analyses, the book interprets the overall results under the notion of "smart populism" where the moral definition of "the people" allows for little political opposition, "the elite" is selected based on its multifaceted applicability for a political narrative and "the will of the people" is determined from above. The volume also suggests responses to "smart populism". The book will be of particular interest to students and scholars of democracy, party politics the rise of populism and contemporary Hungarian politics. Cover Half Title Series Information Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Figures Tables About the Author Preface Introduction A Comprehensive Study of the Impact of Populism in “The Age of Populism” What Is Populism? The Multifaceted Impact of Populism as an Ideology Case Selection and Methods The Structure of the Book Notes Part I Polity Impact 1 Populist Constitutionalism in Hungary After 2010 Populist Constitutionalism Constitution-making in Hungary in 2011 A Rationale for Constitutional Change: the Elite’s Constitution Failing to Represent “The Will of the People”? The Contents of the Fundamental Law – Identifying “The People”, Repoliticizing the Constitution and Deconstructing ... Adopting the Fundamental Law – Controlled Popular Sovereignty? Entrenching Populist Constitutionalism Through Amendments to the Fundamental Law Conclusion Notes 2 Discriminatory Legalism in Hungary After 2010 Discriminatory Legalism and Populism An Overview of “Discriminatory Legalism” in Hungary After 2010 Legislation Regulating Parliamentary Elections – “The Use of Law” Legislation Regulating Civil Society Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations – “The Abuse of Law” Legislation Regulating Foreign Higher Education Institutions in Hungary – “The Abuse and Contingent Use of Law” Conclusion Notes 3 Populism and (Liberal) Democracy in Hungary After 2010 Populism as (Liberal) Democracy’s Immune System Gone Wild? The Impact of Populism On Hungarian Democracy After 2010 Government Narrative On Democratic Deterioration Conclusion Notes Part II Politics Impact 4 Populism, Media and Journalism in Hungary After 2010 The Media, Journalism and Populism Populism and the Media System in Hungary After 2010 Reforming Regulatory Oversight of the Media Restructuring the Media Landscape Rethinking the Relations With the Press and the Public Conclusion Notes 5 Populism and Party Politics in Hungary After 2010 The Multifaceted Link Between Populism and Party Politics The Impact of Populism On Party Politics in Hungary After 2010 A Populist/anti-Populist Cleavage? Filling a Representational Gap? A Right-Turn in Party Positions and Among the Electorate? The Populist Narrative On Party Politics Conclusion Notes 6 Eurosceptic Populism in Hungary After 2010 Euroscepticism and Eurosceptic Populism Eurosceptic Populism in Hungary After 2010 Mass-level Euroscepticism Party-level Euroscepticism From Permissive Consensus Towards Constraining Consensus and Permissive Dissensus? The Ever-Strengthening Eurosceptic Populist Narrative National Sovereignty National Identity and Culture National Economy Conclusion Notes Part III Policy Impact 7 Family Policy and Populism in Hungary After 2010 Populism and Socio-Economic Policies Populism and Family Policy in Hungary After 2010 What We Already Know The Populist Narrative The Populist Impact Conclusion Notes 8 Cultural Policy and Populism in Hungary After 2010 Cultural Policy and Populism Populist Narrative of Cultural Policy in Hungary After 2010 Christianity and Nationalism – Ideologies Driving the Identification of “The People” and “The Elite” in Orbán’s Populist ... Giving a Voice to “The Will of the People” in Cultural Policy Populist Measures in Cultural Policy in Hungary After 2010 The “National Library” The Hungarian Academy of Arts and the Restructuring of the National Cultural Fund Cementing the “Christian Culture” Conclusion Notes Conclusion A Glimpse at the Post-2018 Period – the Continuation of Past Practices Populist Constitutionalism Discriminatory Legalism The State of Democracy Media Politics Party Politics EU Politics Family Policy Cultural Policy Smart Populism and the Challenge of Responding to it Notes References Index