Blurring Boundaries: Hungarian Leader Adopts Policies of Far-Right

Internationally, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán likes to present himself as a champion of democracy. At home, though, he is implementing one policy after the other that is inspired by the right-wing extremist Jobbik party. Too often, Brussels downplays the problem.

The right-wing extremists in Hungary’s Jobbik party like to advertise themselves as “honest, clean and genuine.” The “juster” or “better” ones, as their party’s name implies, place particular value on the authenticity of their party’s political agenda. Still, they have a serious problem: Leading Jobbik politicians claim that members of the government coalition led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán are constantly “stealing the issues and ideas” of the party and peddling them as their own.

derSpiegel