The striker
The rise of Viktor Orbán
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
Viktor Orbán has indisputably dominated Hungarian politics since 2010. While in the early 1990s, Orbán still presented himself as liberal, today, he has assumed the role of defender of the Christian west, and is mobilising nationalist sentiment against the EU. In some cases, the friendships with oligarchs, who are now part of the backbone of his regime, date back to his student years. From the moment he first set foot on the political stage in 1989, his tactics were the same as they are today: fuelling conflicts, torpedoing compromises, and dictating his own conditions. His power rests on his self-presentation as a victor.
(Osteuropa 3-5/2018, pp. 187–209)