“In the last decade, the question of the nature of Hungarian politics has attracted considerable international interest. This is primarily because its attempt to develop a so-called "illiberal democracy" is part of a major new international trend, and because it raises such questions of political theory that are not at all unique to Hungary. This work, focusing on the dilemmas of pattern formation and pattern following, on the nexus of the national and the international, offers a provocative and succinct assessment in a lucid style.”

Egedy Gergely, University of Public Service

“Ervin Csizmadia offers a refreshing contribution to the literature on democratic regression. Without neglecting the global framework of the phenomenon, the author focuses on analysing the historical antecedents that made possible and even logical the reemergence of authoritarian rule in post-Cold War Hungary under Viktor Orbán. This book represents a comprehensive attempt to build a scholarly grounded post-liberal interpretation of Central European neo-authoritarianism.”

Stefano Bottoni, University of Florence