''[A] masterly new study of the rise of Fidesz and Orbán. Szelényi’s Tainted Democracy … is detailed and thorough. It offers a rigorous account of how Orbán bent an initially liberal party to his will, and how he and his acolytes have subverted institution after institution.''
''Detailed and authoritative.'' ''A powerfully written, insider account of the transformation of Fidesz from a liberal group of "Young Democrats" opposing authoritarianism to an anti-liberal group of middle-aged opponents of liberal democracy, and of Orbán himself from a charismatic tribune of freedom to a fervent proponent of "traditional Christian family values" and "Magyar Greatness."'' ''Hungary''s trajectory in the past decade under President Viktor Urban illustrates how right-wing populist nationalism can erode liberal democracy from within. Szelenyi describes that slide with balance, detail, and compelling authority... for readers seeking a balanced analysis of Hungary''s recent political evolution, this is the one.'' ‘Offers a compellingly cautionary tale. ... [Tainted Democracy] is a complicated, yet fascinating, story about how Orbán and Simicska built parallel, interlocking political and economic empires.’ ''A detailed chronicle of the Orban method.'' ''An excellent resource on Orbán''s Hungary.'' ‘Probably the best account both of Orbán’s career and of Orbánism as a political system … essential reading for anyone concerned about the threat to democracy posed by those enemies who are at once malicious and astute.’ ‘[Tainted Democracy] is packed with information demonstrating how democracy has been thoroughly dismantled and meaningful opposition stifled.’ ''If you are interested in the gloomy fate of modern Hungary, illiberalism and how a European country can be subverted from the inside, then this is the book for you. Zsuzsanna Szelényi has lived and breathed Hungarian politics for more than thirty years which means that this is the right book, written at the right time, by the right person.'' ''Szelényi''s insider account relates with forensic detail how Orbán--inspired by Berlusconi and Putin--captured Hungarian voters and, in the process, enriched himself and his cronies at the expense of Hungarian democracy. This is a sobering but absolutely essential narrative of aborted democracy in a country that once held such promise.'' ''This compelling book is about how Viktor Orbán systematically subverted democratic institutions to build a corrupt and nepotistic system while EU leaders turned a blind eye to Hungary''s hijacked transformation.'' ''A cautionary tale for the whole of Europe. With unrivalled insight and precious autobiographical detail, Zsuzsanna Szelényi traces Hungary''s descent into authoritarianism under Viktor Orbán.'' ''A definitive insider''s account of how Viktor Orbán dismantled Hungarian democracy and replaced it with an autocratic and profoundly corrupt regime. Szelényi''s vivid chronicle will leave readers aghast but forewarned--saddened by the lost promise of 1989 in Hungary but better equipped to recognise any erosion of democracy in their own countries.'' Hungary, once the poster-child of liberal democracy, is fast becoming an autocracy under Viktor Orbán. After winning an absolute majority in 2010, Orbán launched a series of ''reforms'', fundamentally undermining the country''s twenty-year, post-Cold War liberal consensus. For supporters and foes alike, the rise and rise of Hungary''s prime minister is a vivid example of how democracy can be subverted from within.Zsuzsanna Szelényi, a leading member of Orbán''s Fidesz in its early years, has witnessed first-hand the party''s shift from liberalism to populist nationalism. Offering an insider''s account of Fidesz''s evolution since its creation, she explains how the party rose to leadership of the country under Orbán and made sweeping legal, political and economic changes to solidify its grip on power-from reining in the public media to slashing the number of parliamentary seats. She answers a key question: why has Orbán been so successful, winning widespread support within Hungary and wielding considerable influence in European politics? And how can Hungary''s opposition party Together, which she co-founded in 2014, work to turn the country around?Underpinned by Szelényi''s own experiences at the heart of Hungarian politics, Tainted Democracy offers accessible, nuanced insights into the global rise of populist autocracy--and how it can be challenged.
Taylor & Francis Ltd
