Following the historic and inspirational trouncing of Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party yesterday, I had the privilege of speaking with Hungarian political analyst Péter Dósa who writes The Hungary Report here on Substack. It’s a great publication and Péter writes beautifully, with a lot of heart. For folks who don’t already follow Péter, I recommend subscribing.
The topics Péter and I discussed included:
Hungary under Orbán as a central node for the global far-right movement, complete with its own CPAC spinoff that holds annual confabs
How Orbán and Fidesz hollowed out Hungary’s democracy and consolidated a corrupt competitive authoritarian regime during Orbán’s 16-year rule
How Péter Magyar and his upstart Tisza party defeated Orbán — with lessons for those fighting for democracy in the US, Israel, and elsewhere
Orbán’s concession of the race to Magyar (which, as we Americans know, wasn’t a given)
How Orbán advanced the interests of Putin, Netanyahu, and Trump within the European Union
What’s next for Hungary, as Magyar and Tisza work to undo Orbánism, root out corruption, rebuild democracy, recommit to Europe, and pursue accountability
The defeat of Orbán is a huge step for Hungary, but now the hard work begins. Success in rebuilding a durable democracy isn’t guaranteed. Let’s all root for Hungary and follow its progress, bearing in mind that all of our futures are intertwined as we collectively fight for democracy against far-right movements around the globe.
What’s Up Next?
Tomorrow (Tues, April 14) at 11am Eastern:
I’ll be joining three pro-democracy organizations — Markers for Democracy, Downtown Nasty Women Social Group, and Team Min — for a Zoom conversation about the Middle East, US foreign policy, and Jewish American politics. I’ll offer some remarks and then we’ll have Q&A. I’m pleased to join the impressive roster of speakers these groups have hosted. Thanks to Ellen Bender of Markers for Democracy’s leadership team for the invitation and her early support of The Debrief!
All are welcome to join us tomorrow. RSVP here.
Tomorrow at 9:20pm Eastern:
I’ll be a guest on Tell Me Everything with John Fugelsang on Siriux XM Progress. Tune in live to hear me in conversation with quick-witted comedian, actor, and NYT bestselling author John Fugelsang! I’m excited to chat with John and hope you’ll come along for the ride.
Wednesday, April 15, at 10:30am Eastern:
I’ve had the privilege of moderating webinars and congressional briefings with Michael Sfard — one of Israel’s top human rights lawyers — but this will be his first appearance on The Debrief. To know Michael is to know that his top-flight intellect is matched only by his unflagging commitment to human rights and universal application of international law. His Tel Aviv/Jaffa-based law office has represented human rights and peace organizations and Palestinian communities since 2004, specializing in Israeli constitutional and administrative law, the laws of war, and human rights law.
Michael is the author of several books, including Occupation from Within: A Journey to the Roots of the Constitutional Coup, the English translation of which will come out later this year. He has been featured in The New York Times multiple times (most recently in this piece on Israeli dissidents by M. Gessen), as well as in Haaretz (here), where he frequently publishes op-eds.
Truly, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Friends, if you appreciate the insights The Debrief brings you, I hope you’ll pitch in to help me continue this work. Please consider becoming a paid subscriber now. You can also leave a one-time donation in any amount. Thank you.
That’s it for now, folks!
Looking forward to seeing you again soon.
Warmly,
Debra
