Multipolarity

Special Edition: Gladden Pappin on Orbán's Big Speech

Aug 1, 2024

Gladden Pappin, an expert on political discourse in Hungary, discusses Viktor Orbán's provocative speech at the Tusványos festival. They explore its implications for Hungary's foreign policy amidst a shifting global landscape. Pappin examines Orbán's philosophical approach, highlighting contrasts with liberal foreign policies and the rise of alternative ideologies. The conversation delves into European geopolitics, the impact of 'woke' diplomacy, and the challenges facing traditional liberal ideals in a multipolar world.

01:08:33

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Gladden Pappin

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Quick takeaways

Viktor Orbán's speech at the Tusványos festival highlights the emergence of a multipolar world order, urging a reevaluation of global foreign policy interactions.

Orbán critiques the rationality of Western decisions, particularly regarding energy and migration policies, suggesting these choices often contradict national interests.

The discussion emphasizes the need for Europe to pursue strategic autonomy while resisting cultural imperialism, contrasting Eastern and Western approaches to governance.

Deep dives

The Emergence of a Multipolar World

A new multipolar world order is taking shape, as discussed in Viktor Orban's recent speech at the Tushvanjós festival in Romania. He laid out how the dynamics of global power are shifting, particularly in relation to Western and Eastern perspectives on foreign policy. Orban emphasized that countries such as Russia exhibit predictable actions based on their national interests, while Western nations, especially in Europe, have diverged from rational decision-making. This shift calls for a reevaluation of how nations interact globally and the rationale behind their foreign policies.

Intro

3min

Navigating Foreign Policy Complexities

7min

Contrasting Views on Liberal Foreign Policy and Geopolitical Realities

5min

The Transformative Shift of Global Ideologies

5min

Woke Diplomacy and Its Impact on Global Relations

3min

The Clash of Liberal Ideals

11min

Europe's Geopolitical Evolution

33min

Last weekend, Viktor Orbán travelled to the town of Băile Tușnad, deep in the Transylvanian mountains of Romania, to attend a 'music and ideas' festival.

He was on the bill.

Amongst the ethnically-Hungarian diaspora who live in the region, Orbán is a regular visitor. In fact, the Tusványos festival was started by Fidesz back when the party was effectively four people. That was in the early-90s. Today, it has swelled to accommodate over 10 000 people.

The place is billed as an 'open university', with talks by a range of academics, thinkers and politicians.

Traditionally, Orbán gives his own 'series of lectures' , just like many of others speakers. The difference is that Orbán speaks from the main stage, in front of a crowd of a few thousand.

In recent years, these speeches have become philosophical key notes to understanding the Hungarian perspective. In previous years, his talks have made world headlines, including the one where he said he regarded Hungary as an 'illiberal democracy' (though this was partly mis-translation).

Rarely does a world leader get as philosophical as Orbán does in these talks. He lays out a deep vision of the future as he sees it for the upcoming year, one that connects history, economics, and metaphysics.

This year's speech was among the deepest - and the spiciest -ever. Not only did it catch the headlines, with its barbs against Poland, and naming US intelligence as the saboteurs of the Nordstream pipeline, it could even justifiably be called 'historic'. Orbán talked openly of Hungary's coming pivot to China, of the decay of the Western soul, and of the shape of the peace that must come beyond the Russo-Ukraine War.

Gladden Pappin is the President of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs. A prominent academic and leading light in the post-liberal movement, Pappin is perhaps one of the hidden architects of Hungary's dynamic foreign policy.

This week, The Lads ask him about the deeper meaning of Orbán's Big Talk.

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