What is at stake in the Hungarian elections for Europe (and for the UvA)
This Sunday, all eyes across Europe are on Hungary, where the most closely contested elections in years are about to take place. Polls suggest that, after sixteen years, the era of current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could be coming to an end. Good news for Europe and the Netherlands, according to Hungarian associate professor of European law Kati Cseres.
Why are this Sunday’s Hungarian elections so tense and important?
“For the first time in sixteen years, there is a very real chance that Hungary will take a different course. In previous elections, the opposition was fragmented, but now it genuinely appears that Viktor Orbán could be defeated. The polls show that opposition leader Peter Magyar could win, as a large part of the Hungarian population wants change. This applies to areas such as healthcare and education, but also to the economy as a whole, which is in disarray.”
In Western Europe, Magyar is mainly known for adopting a very different tone towards the EU.
“Indeed. He wants Hungary to cooperate as a member state in the decisions taken within the European institutions. A normal decision-making process, without the need to constantly devise tricks.”
That would mark a significant break from Hungary’s current position within the EU.
“At present, Hungary often obstructs decisions that require everyone’s support: unanimity. In such cases, each member has a veto right. Unanimity is required for highly significant issues, such as whether or not to continue supporting Ukraine, or maintaining peace elsewhere in Europe. By taking this blocking stance, Hungary was long isolated within the EU, but a broader camp has now formed around the country.”
Is Hungary still the frontrunner within that camp?
“You could say the country is even something of a role model. Hungary has exceptionally skilled lawyers who think very creatively about European law; I might even say that Orbán would be very welcome at the UvA after his political career, with all his critical ideas.”
“For instance, the EU recently adopted a law on media freedom. Hungary not only voted against it, but immediately initiated proceedings at the Court of Justice, arguing that the law should be overturned due to an incorrect legal basis. And that argument does not appear entirely unfounded. Hungary is always looking for such clever ways to obstruct the EU.”
The Hungarian elections could also affect the ties between the UvA and Hungary. Due to the political control exerted by Orbán’s Fidesz party over education, 26 Hungarian universities have been excluded from the Erasmus+ exchange programme and the Horizon funding programme under European sanctions.
On the advice of the Advisory Committee on Collaboration with Third Parties, the UvA itself decided not to enter into partnerships with Hungarian institutions on the sanctions list. However, the Faculty of Economics and Business still maintains an exchange programme with Corvinus University in Budapest through the university network QTEM.
With a new political direction in Hungary, academic ties may potentially be restored.
Magyar himself comes from the heart of Orbán’s party. Does he really stand for such drastically different policies?
“What Magyar promises – and what he will therefore have to deliver in order to maintain his legitimacy – is the normalisation of relations with Europe. He is certainly not left-wing, nor is he green, but I do think he will take a firm stance against the far right. And that is also what many Hungarians want. Hungary simply needs that EU funding. The country must return to functioning as a normal participant in order to be able to access those funds.”
What impact do you think these elections will have here in the Netherlands?
“We have, of course, seen that the Netherlands has also changed dramatically in political terms. If Orbán is defeated, it would represent a setback for the developments that are also causing concern here. Moreover, the Netherlands is a small country, so effective European cooperation is by no means unimportant.”
“For the Hungarian community here in the Netherlands, it is certainly a tense time. Looking at the statistics, many of them do not vote for Orbán’s party. The same applies to Hungarian students studying here at the UvA. During the classes I teach, which often deal with major constitutional issues, we sometimes discuss Hungarian politics. Hungary is a particularly strong case study for analysing how European law functions, or how it fails to function.”
On Thursday 16 April, Kati Cseres will speak in the evening at Spui25 to discuss the outcome of the Hungarian elections. Registration is available here.
