Hungary at a Crossroads: Can Tisza Topple Orban or Entrench His Mafia State?
Viktor Orban built a centralized, patronage-based regime—funded in large part by EU funds—and insulated it with propaganda and co-optation, a system now challenged by Peter Magyar’s Tisza Party ahead of Hungary’s April 12 elections. If Magyar wins and results are accepted, Hungary could return to democracy; if Orban clings to power, the regime could deepen autocracy and widen ties with Russia, with major implications for the EU and NATO.