Beyond Democratic Backsliding: Orbán’s Hungary and the Making of an Antiliberal Polity

This chapter analyses Hungary’s transformation from a post-1989 liberal democracy into what is conceptualised as an antiliberal polity: a system of governance that preserves electoral competition while systematically weakening liberal-democratic institutions, norms, and constraints. Existing frameworks, such as democratic backsliding, hybrid regimes, and competitive authoritarianism, capture important aspects of this trajectory but fail to account for the ideological coherence and institutional reconfiguration that have characterised Hungary under Viktor Orbán and the Fidesz party. Drawing on contemporary scholarship on democratic fragility, the chapter argues that Hungary’s evolution is not simply a deviation from a liberal-democratic ideal but the consolidation of a distinct ‘post-liberal order’ whose stability is increasingly contested. This order is grounded in Christian nationalism, historical grievance, centralised executive authority, and the strategic repurposing of state institutions to sustain partisan dominance. The analysis situates Hungary’s antiliberal consolidation within the structural vulnerabilities of its post-communist transition. It further examines the ideological narratives that legitimise executive power, the constitutional and administrative reforms that have entrenched political control, and the geopolitical strategies that have provided external validation for illiberal governance. Attention is also given to domestic resistance, emphasising both its persistence and its structural constraints. By demonstrating how democratic procedures have been reconfigured while their liberal foundations have been dismantled, the chapter contributes to broader debates on democratic erosion and the transformation of political–bureaucratic relations. It argues that Hungary, under Fidesz, has exemplified an entrenched form of electoral illiberalism in which institutional autonomy has been subordinated to a moralised nationalist project.