Viktor Orbán's defeat due to arrogance and corruption, says Hungarian professor in UCC
Viktor Orban conceded defeat in Hungary's parliamentary elections to Peter Magyar, a former government insider and political newcomer who has promised "system change'. Photo:Attila Kisbenedek/AFP via Getty Images
Arrogance and corruption led to Viktor Orbán's downfall after 16 years, according to a Hungarian professor working in University College Cork.
The autocratic leader Orbán, a close ally of both US president Donald Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin, lost by a decisive margin in the vote held on Sunday, in what was the highest turnout in Hungary’s democratic history.
The new leader Péter Magyar, a pro-European reformer, has promised to deliver a fundamental transformation in the political culture of Hungary.
Arpad Szakolczai, emeritus professor of sociology at UCC, told the that the result of the election clearly highlighted the demand for change among the Hungarian people.
On why, in his view, Hungarians voted for change, Mr Szakolczai said: “The number one problem I think was corruption. The second was arrogance. I know these Fidesz (party of Viktor Orbán) people for 35 years.
“They were arrogant 35 years ago and I can imagine how arrogant they became now that for 16 years they were ruling. The third problem was authoritarianism, which Hungarians don’t like.”
Mr Szakolczai added that the elections in Hungary were decided on internal political reasons and very little about international politics and the kind of international politics which Orbán was trying to lead.
“The major pro-family, nation-oriented policies I think will be kept. Not authoritarian. But having a conservative, tradition-oriented view and not a support of this extreme liberalism which is sweeping Europe.
“There will certainly be some degree of changes in that regard. But I don’t think there will be major changes in the overall political outlook of Hungary. Certainly he (Orbán) failed because he wanted to divert attention away from the internal problems of himself and his party.
“He played the game of an international political leader and it didn’t work. Hungarians said you can jump up and down with Trump, Vance and Putin. But what we care about (is) what did you do with us at home, that is what the national election should be.
“Hungarians will always be conservative and nation-oriented. It is just that the kind of policies which Orbán was doing, it is with the profile of an arrogant, authoritarian government, pro-Russian and corrupt, that is what people didn’t want.”
On what the new leader Mr Magyar will bring to Hungary, Mr Szakolczai added: “The interesting thing if you read the news about Hungary and especially in Hungarian, it is not the person of the leader that matters that much.
“Many people said that they don’t like particularly the person. But they wanted a change along the same overall political lines.
“So I think this person will be just an interim person. The real question is whether after Orbán and this person, there will be a proper conservative leader in Hungary that people would support.”
Taoiseach Micheál Martin expressed his congratulations to Péter Magyar, the leader of the Tisza party, following his victory in the parliamentary elections in Hungary. Mr Martin also commended the Hungarian people for their high turnout and their democratic choice.
He expressed his intention to work with Mr Magyar to strengthen bilateral relations between Ireland and Hungary
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