This is a useful collection of articles on an important issue in contemporary European politics ----the question of what to do about the authoritarian.

Slavonic & East European Review

“Brave New Hungary is an extremely well informed and insightful volume about Hungary's drift towards authoritarianism, brilliantly put in context of European politics and challenges of the modern day.”

Jan T. Gross, Princeton University

“This volume avoids the trap of defining contemporary Hungary through catchy epithets, one-dimensional descriptions, and monocausal interpretations. It puts the brave new regime of the country and its firebrand leader in a historical perspective which does not make them appear radically innovative, and nevertheless it allows us to see novel trends. The contributors explore a society whose fascist and communist past facilitates accommodation to a government which, according to changing conjunctures, rationalizes its policies as civic and authoritarian, paternalist and disciplinarian, pro-European and nationalist, modern and tradition-bound, and which poses not only as champion of tolerance but also as standard-bearer of religious chauvinism. They decipher symbols and discourses, they investigate techniques of socialization, and they try to situate Hungary in a regional and European context. Their chapters deepen our understanding of society, culture, and politics under a controversial regime much appreciated in radically conservative milieus in Europe and way beyond it.”

Gábor T. Rittersporn, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris

“Thirty years ago many believed that the future of Hungary and the other post-communist countries was to learn from the liberal West. Today’s danger is that a virulent populism learns from an anti-liberal Hungary. Brave New Hungary is a trenchant analysis of how Orbánization came about, how it operates, and how it might spread. This ‘realistic dystopia’ is a must-read for anyone concerned about threats to democracy.”

David Stark, Columbia University

As can be expected in a volume devoted to an elite vision of social transformation, less emphasis is placed on the social origins of the regime and the public perceptions that have facilitated its emergence. The changes in the educational system beyond the university sector, the regulation of political parties and the shifts in foreign policy attitudes could form separate chapters. Still, the breadth of issues covered in a single volume is remarkable and will ensure that students find the book an excellent source of information and expert insights on a wide range of questions pertaining to Hungary’s political, legal and social system, including the survey of existing perspectives on the causes and implications of Hungarian regime change.

Europe-Asia Studies