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Podcast | 8 May 2026

The Women Leaders podcast: Hungary and the defeat of illiberal democracy

Central Europe Democracy Europe Hungary Podcasts Senior Associate Fellow Podcast

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There are certain events so important that they signify a word now rarely used: possibility. The victory of the opposition Tisza party in Hungary over the long-ruling illiberal Fidesz party embodies the idea of possibility – a possible new and better future, a possible reconciliation with the EU, a possible end to corruption, and so many other possibilities.

As the Tisza party headed by Péter Magyar takes office, we wanted to establish how the victory was achieved: not as an abstract question, but as a reality of Hungarians who objected to Orban’s illiberal democracy and joined forces to fight it to victory. Eva Cartwright and Flora Hevesi, two such activists, join a dynamic and heartfelt conversation that explores what living in the Hungary of Fidesz really meant, in cities and villages, and how victory was finally achieved.

This episode was recorded 7 May 2026

Chapters

  • Recognising the signs of democratic erosion
  • Hungary’s experience of democracy
  • The shift from Fidesz to Tisza
  • Complexities of political activism

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Credits

The European Leadership Network itself as an institution holds no formal policy positions. The opinions articulated above represent the views of the authors rather than the European Leadership Network or its members. The ELN aims to encourage debates that will help develop Europe’s capacity to address the pressing foreign, defence, and security policy challenges of our time, to further its charitable purposes.

Image credit: Florence Ferrando

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