Foreign Affairs | Ivan Krastev
Hungary's April 12 parliamentary elections saw the crushing defeat of strongman Viktor Orban, leading many moderate and liberal observers in Brussels, Paris, Berlin, and New York to hope for an ebbing of global illiberalism. However, the new Prime Minister, Peter Magyar, won on an antiestablishment wave, which could still benefit populists. Orban's defeat does not signal the end of far-right politics in Europe but rather an end to the illusion of Trumpism as a global movement, as Orban accepted the outcome, reaffirming democratic credentials. This shift signals a new era where the European far right distances itself from Trump, potentially pushing the continent toward a consensus where pro-European elites accept nation-state centrality, and far-right parties view Moscow, Beijing, and Washington, not Brussels, as primary threats. Orban's loss also alters Russia's calculations, as Hungary's veto on 90 billion euros (about $105 billion) for Ukraine is removed, potentially allowing Ukraine to fight for two more years. This increases the risk of more aggressive Russian strategies like cyberattacks. Europe's internal dynamics show a convergence: sovereigntism is here to stay, but the new right is becoming less Euroskeptical, seeing Washington and Moscow as threats, not Brussels.
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