The Power of the Weak? The Political Instrumentalization of Hungary’s Weaknesses by the Orbán Regime

The Orbán regime is built on the cynical instrumentalization of Hungary’s multilayer weaknesses. The way this far-right administration has efficiently captured the state is well-documented. However, the state is not the only victim of this process: Hungarian society has also been weakened by Orbán’s populist politics. Moreover, well before his party’s last truly democratic victory in 2010, the very idea of the nation had also been seized by the Fidesz. The state, the nation, and society: it is at these three intertwined yet distinct levels that we need to examine the complex state of weakness that prevents a democratic turn and the re-establishment of the rule of law in this East-Central European country. These three levels are those where weakness can be identified in geopolitics. To deal with a problematic country or region, it is crucial to clarify the exact victim of a weakening process: Is it the institutional framework of the given country? Is it a shortcoming in the nation-building process? Or is it a lack of social structures and solidarity that could explain the absence of democratic perspectives? Paradoxically, weakness is also a source of power. Sharp power is the political tool of weak players in the global arena. In domestic politics, it is a result, but also an instrument in the hands of purported ’strongmen.’ The weakening of a country relates to the use of such sharp power, i.e., the power of annoyance that cannot reach goals beyond undermining constructive processes. In Hungary’s specific case, the regime in place has abused the systemic and practical weaknesses of the European Union (EU) as well to position itself as a blackmailing player. The regime also instrumentalizes neighbouring EU candidate countries’ structural weaknesses and hopes. The background of such a strategy is certainly not wealth, capital, or achievement. The background – and perhaps the condition – is a captured state, a monopoly on national discourse, and a fractured society – a polarization without clear ’poles.’ In this short presentation, I will examine the multilayer weakening process that has turned Hungary into the embarrassing – yet also admired – country that will have to face the consequences of this cynical instrumentalization of shortcomings in a world of imminent dangers.