Even Victor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary for four consecutive terms since 2010 (also ruled 1998-2002), had to bow to the people’s wishes when they overwhelmingly voted against his authoritarian rule
There is no stopping the people when they choose to change their ruler, at least not in a democracy. Even Victor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary for four consecutive terms since 2010 (also ruled 1998-2002), had to bow to the people’s wishes when they overwhelmingly voted against his authoritarian rule.
It mattered little to the people of Hungary that their ruler was a favourite of right-wing authoritarians to the west and east of him, as far away as New York and Moscow. Such a change for a country that knew democracy only fleetingly in the whole of its 20th century history may seem drastic. But the people wanted Mr Orban out essentially because he had failed their economy.
Stagnant since the pandemic when inflation was running at 25 per cent, the economy had not only been neglected with the upper and upper middle class shrinking by half, but was also creamed off by Mr Orban’s cronies even as institutional safeguards were stripped, the judiciary and the media manacled and public finances appropriated.
Having decided that enough is enough, the people turned out in large numbers to give a hearty thumbs up to Peter Magyar’s Tisza party, vesting it with near two-thirds majority and leaving no room to manoeuvre for Mr Orban who, unlike his buddy Mr Donald Trump, cannot claim that a national election had been stolen.
It seems wondrous that a liberal democracy, which Mr Magyar is expected to shape after having left Mr Orban’s Fidesz to start his own party, should stand a chance now in a nation with such a history of authoritarian and/or Communist rule. This just shows that bad regimes must come to an end at some point in time provided democracy is allowed to give people a genuine chance to make their voices heard.
Again, the sea change for Hungary is a great opportunity to make history as a truly democratic nation that cares for all its people with inclusive policies and a willingness to listen to all irrespective of who they may have voted for.
