Hungary in 2020: What do the youth of Budapest think?

Political Bark

In this informal chat, I speak with some interesting people in Budapest. I am curious to ask what they think about the current political climate in Hungary, and also what they think about the international press and their writings about Hungary. As many have seen or read, Hungary is heavily criticized by the European Parliament for its corona legislations; calling them “not in line with the EU’s values”; however, much of this legislation has been removed or reduced. PM Orbán is also often in the spotlight especially so in Western media. The Us freedom house recently called Hungary a “hybrid between a democracy and a dictatorship”. I am curious to hear what young Hungarian say about that. As all the topics that are covered in my podcast, this is an equally difficult one to conclude on. The situation in Hungary can and should be seen from many perspectives, but what I have come to understand is that the politics and current events in Hungary are part of a delicate issue with many stake holders. It is in fact a myriad of things: traditions, conservative values and liberal ones, historical events and social changes, but also geography (Budapest vs periphery), demography and social background. Indeed, Hungary is often pulled between two shores, one being a post modern and “liberal” one, and one being a more traditional one, more alike the Hungary that has existed for a long time.