Identity, Religion, or Religious Identity? Identity Politics of the Orbán Regime
Sprache des Vortragstitels:
Englisch
Original Tagungtitel:
CEEcon: DGO-Congress of Central and East European Studies 2024
Sprache des Tagungstitel:
Englisch
Original Kurzfassung:
In April 2010, the FIDESZ-KDNP coalition won a two-thirds majority in the Hungarian parliament. The newly elected second Orbán government immediately began implementing comprehensive changes. These changes included autocratic economic reforms and erosion of the democratic system. Additionally, the government openly embarked on robust identity politics. Over the past 14 years, it has become evident that the Orbán regime has effectively utilized identity and belonging as a means to distract the electorate from autocratic processes and economic challenges, both real and perceived. Additionally, the regime prominently communicates its religious beliefs and characteristics. Therefore, comprehending the identity politics of the regime, which is based on Christian and Jewish religious roots, nationalism, and the personal charisma of the prime minister, is crucial to understanding its longevity. To gain a better understanding of how the identity politics of the Hungarian regime operates and why it is essential for its longevity, a systematic literature review will examine the scholarly work of the last 14 years on this issue. This analysis will examine literature from various perspectives, including economics, nationalism, religion, Christian democracy, populist right-wing party politics, and cultural aspects. By exploring these different viewpoints, it will enable to insight into how the Orbán regime utilizes identity politics to maintain and consolidate its power. The paper argues that the Orbán regime utilizes identity politics for several reasons.
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