Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is charting a dangerous course— reviving the dream of a Greater Hungary by eyeing territories in Ukraine and the Balkans, with growing support from Vladimir Putin’s Russia. This irredentist project, rooted in grievances over the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, risks destabilizing Eastern Europe at a moment when the continent is already grappling with war, fragmentation, and the resurgence of authoritarianism.

“I don’t want my children to grow up in a country where it’s legal to lie with Hungarian money, but illegal to tell the truth with foreign money,” says Hettyey András, political scientist and associate professor at Andrássy University Budapest.On May 14th, Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party submitted a bill that, on its face, claims to protect national sovereignty.

In a startling development, a leaked audio recording from 2023 has surfaced, featuring Hungarian Defence Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky announcing a significant shift in Hungary’s military posture. The recording reveals the minister stating, “we are building a capable, combat-ready Hungarian army.” This declaration is part of a broader strategy to move Hungary into “war mode [phase 0],” abandoning its previous peace-oriented approach.

While European leaders unite to defend democracy at Ukraine’s borders, an authoritarian erosion is quietly unfolding within. Hungary— an EU member and NATO ally— is no longer drifting from democratic norms. It is actively dismantling them, piece by piece, using the language of sovereignty and national identity to justify creeping repression. A New Kind of State Power   In early 2024, Hungary unveiled its latest instrument of control: the Sovereignty Protection Office.

Hungary’s economy is faltering once again— and this time, not even Viktor Orban’s usual scapegoats can mask the rot. Having looted Hungary’s economy into its position of the 4th poorest nation in Europe, the old kleptocrat is now overseeing a a GDP that contracted by 0.2% in Q1 2025, defying government promises of a strong post-recession rebound. As the rest of Central Europe shows signs of recovery— Czechia grew 0.5%— Hungary’s stagnation stands out as self-inflicted.