In this episode, Matt digs into modern Hungarian politics with Zoltan Kesz, exploring how Viktor Orbán evolved from a young liberal reformer into an illiberal, Putin-aligned strongman presiding over a reactionary kleptocracy. Zoltan breaks down how Orbán consolidated power, manipulated institutions, reshaped the media, and abandoned liberalism while Hungary’s economy and democratic norms declined.

References:

Zoltan at LibertyCon: https://libertycon.net/speaker/zoltan-kesz/

Zoltan at Emerging Europe: https://emerging-europe.com/author/zoltan-kesz/

BBC's Analysis of Viktor Orban: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-67832416

"How Viktor Orban Wins" at Journal of Democracy: https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/how-viktor-orban-wins/

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How Did Hungary Become Illiberal? - Zoltan Kesz