Editing Hungary (section)

=== Third Republic (1989–present) ===
{{See also|Revolutions of 1989|2006 protests in Hungary|2015 European migrant crisis|COVID-19 pandemic in Hungary}}
[[File:Foundation of the Visegrád Group.tiff|thumb|The [[Visegrád Group]] signing ceremony, 15 February 1991]]

Hungary's transition from communism to capitalism (''rendszerváltás'', "regime change") was peaceful and prompted by economic stagnation, domestic political pressure, and changing relations with other Warsaw Pact countries. Although the [[Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party]] began [[Hungarian Round Table Talks|Round Table Talks]] with various opposition groups in March 1989, the reburial of Imre Nagy as a revolutionary martyr that June is widely considered the symbolic end of communism in Hungary. Free elections were held [[1990 Hungarian parliamentary election|in May 1990]], and the [[Hungarian Democratic Forum]], a major conservative opposition group, was elected to the head of a coalition government. [[József Antall]] became the first democratically elected prime minister since World War II.

With the removal of state subsidies and rapid privatisation in 1991, Hungary was affected by a severe economic recession. The Antall government's austerity measures proved unpopular, and the Communist Party's legal and political heir, the [[Hungarian Socialist Party|Socialist Party]], won the subsequent [[1994 Hungarian parliamentary election|1994 elections]]. This abrupt shift in the political landscape was repeated in [[1998 Hungarian parliamentary election|1998]] and [[2002 Hungarian parliamentary election|2002]]; in each electoral cycle, the governing party was ousted and the erstwhile opposition elected. Like most other post-communist European states, however, Hungary broadly pursued an [[European integration|integrationist]] agenda, [[Enlargement of NATO|joining NATO]] in 1999 and the European Union [[2003 Hungarian European Union membership referendum|in 2004]]. As a NATO member, Hungary was involved in the [[Yugoslav Wars]].

[[File:Police car at Hungary-Serbia border barrier.jpg|thumb|Police car at Hungary-Serbia border barrier]]In 2006, [[2006 protests in Hungary|major nationwide protests]] erupted after it was revealed that Prime Minister [[Ferenc Gyurcsány]] had claimed in [[Őszöd speech|a closed-door speech]] that his party "lied" to win the [[2006 Hungarian parliamentary election|recent elections]]. The popularity of left-wing parties plummeted in the ensuing political upheaval, and in 2010, [[Viktor Orbán]]'s national-conservative [[Fidesz]] party was [[2010 Hungarian parliamentary election|elected]] to a parliamentary [[supermajority]]. The legislature consequently approved a [[Constitution of Hungary|new constitution]], among other sweeping governmental and legal changes including the establishment of new parliamentary constituencies, decreasing the number of parliamentarians, and shifting to single-round parliamentary elections. Fidesz has won supermajorities in [[2014 Hungarian parliamentary election|every]] [[2018 Hungarian parliamentary election|subsequent]] [[2022 Hungarian parliamentary election|election]].

Since Orbán's election in 2010, Hungary has undergone [[democratic backsliding]]. It has been characterised as an [[illiberal democracy]],<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Abby |last1=Innes |title=Hungary's Illiberal Democracy |journal=Current History |year=2015 |volume=114 |issue=770 |doi=10.1525/curh.2015.114.770.95 |pages=95–100}}</ref>{{rp|95}} [[hybrid regime]], [[kleptocracy]], [[dominant-party system]], and [[mafia state]].<ref name="VDem2020">''[https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/f0/5d/f05d46d8-626f-4b20-8e4e-53d4b134bfcb/democracy_report_2020_low.pdf Autocratization Surges–Resistance Grows: Democracy Report 2020] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200330123413/https://www.v-dem.net/media/filer_public/f0/5d/f05d46d8-626f-4b20-8e4e-53d4b134bfcb/democracy_report_2020_low.pdf |date=30 March 2020 }}'', V-Dem Institute, University of Gothenburg (March 2020).</ref><ref>"[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220909IPR40137/meps-hungary-can-no-longer-be-considered-a-full-democracy MEPs: Hungary can no longer be considered a full democracy | News | European Parliament]". www.europarl.europa.eu. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2023-05-02.</ref><ref>{{Cite news|date=5 April 2018|title=The EU is tolerating – and enabling – authoritarian kleptocracy in Hungary|newspaper=The Economist|url=https://www.economist.com/europe/2018/04/05/the-eu-is-tolerating-and-enabling-authoritarian-kleptocracy-in-hungary|access-date=5 July 2021|issn=0013-0613}}</ref> Orbán has publicly embraced illiberalism,<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Plattner |first1=Marc F. |date=2019 |title=Illiberal Democracy and the Struggle on the Right |journal=Journal of Democracy |language=en |volume=30 |issue=1 |pages=5–19 |doi=10.1353/jod.2019.0000 | url=https://www.journalofdemocracy.org/articles/illiberal-democracy-and-the-struggle-on-the-right/}}</ref>{{Rp|page=9}} characterising Hungary as an "illiberal Christian democracy".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://budapestbeacon.com/full-text-of-viktor-orbans-speech-at-baile-tusnad-tusnadfurdo-of-26-july-2014/|title=Full text of Viktor Orbán's speech at Băile Tuşnad (Tusnádfürdő) of 26 July 2014|work=The Budapest Beacon|date=30 July 2014|access-date=11 November 2024|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728164958/https://budapestbeacon.com/full-text-of-viktor-orbans-speech-at-baile-tusnad-tusnadfurdo-of-26-july-2014/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Hungarian PM sees shift to illiberal Christian democracy in 2019 European vote |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-orban/hungarian-pm-sees-shift-to-illiberal-christian-democracy-in-2019-european-vote-idUSKBN1KI0BK |publisher=[[Reuters]] |access-date=29 July 2020 |date=28 July 2018 |quote=Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Saturday that European parliament elections next year could bring about a shift toward illiberal 'Christian democracy' in the European Union that would end the era of multiculturalism.}}</ref> As a result of these developments, Hungary's relationship with the [[United States]] and the [[European Union]] have entered a period of protracted strain. Past and ongoing areas of conflict include [[LGBT rights in Hungary|LGBT rights]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hungary's parliament passes anti-LGBT law ahead of 2022 election|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/06/15/europe/hungary-protests-lgbtq-law-intl/index.html|access-date=2021-06-25|website=CNN|date=15 June 2021|archive-date=2 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210702152849/http://www.cnn.com/2021/06/15/europe/hungary-protests-lgbtq-law-intl/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref> migration,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-hungary-immigration-idUSKBN0OX17I20150617|title=Hungary to fence off border with Serbia to stop migrants|work=Reuters|access-date=28 August 2015|date=17 June 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/04/world/europe/hungary-train-station-migrant-crisis.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=a-lede-package-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0|title=Hungary Defends Handling of Migrants Amid Chaos at Train Station|author1=Anemona Hartocollis|author2=Dan Bilefsky|author3=James Kanter|name-list-style=amp|newspaper=The New York Times|access-date=3 September 2015|date=3 September 2015}}</ref> the ''[[lex CEU]],''<ref>{{Cite news |date=2020-10-06 |title=Hungary broke EU law by forcing out university, says European Court |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54433398 |access-date=2025-01-12 |language=en-GB}}</ref> Hungary's decision to authorise [[Sputnik vaccine|Russian]] and [[CoronaVac|Chinese vaccines]] during the [[COVID-19 pandemic|coronavirus pandemic]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Walker |first=Shaun |date=2021-01-21 |title=Hungary breaks ranks with EU to license Russian vaccine |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jan/21/hungary-breaks-ranks-with-eu-to-license-russian-vaccine-sputnik-v |access-date=2025-01-12 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2021-02-28 |title='I'm vaccinated': Hungary's Orbán promotes Chinese coronavirus jab |url=https://www.politico.eu/article/hungary-viktor-orban-inoculated-with-chinese-vaccine-coronavirus/ |access-date=2025-01-12 |website=POLITICO |language=en-GB}}</ref> and [[International sanctions during the Russian invasion of Ukraine|international sanctions against Russia]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Hungary's loyalties tested as Russia's war in Ukraine grinds on |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/14/hungarys-loyalties-tested-as-russias-war-in-ukraine-grinds-on |access-date=14 April 2023 |website=aljazeera.com}}</ref> The Orbán government has simultaneously come under increased international scrutiny over rule-of-law concerns. Hungary has and continues to dispute these allegations.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rankin |first=Jennifer |date=12 September 2018 |title=MEPs vote to pursue action against Hungary over Orbán crackdown |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/12/eu-meps-vote-to-pursue-action-against-hungary-over-orban-crackdown |access-date=24 September 2018 |website=The Guardian |language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2018, the [[European Parliament]] voted to act against Hungary under the terms of [[Article 7 of the Treaty on European Union]]. In March 2025, [[Estonia]] pushed for a suspension of Hungary's EU voting rights.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-03-14 |title=Minister: Hungary's EU voting rights must be suspended over sanctions block |url=https://news.err.ee/1609633469/minister-hungary-s-eu-voting-rights-must-be-suspended-over-sanctions-block |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=[[Eesti Rahvusringhääling]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2025-03-14 |title=Ungarn erzwingt Aufhebung von EU-Sanktionen gegen Russen |url=https://www.orf.at//stories/3387636/ |access-date=2025-03-14 |website=news.[[ORF.at]] |language=de-AT}}</ref>