Hungary’s system designed for Orbán has turned against him, Georgian analyst

A Georgian international relations analyst on Wednesday said Hungary’s political system, which was designed to benefit Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, has ultimately backfired.

Speaking on developments in Hungary, Giorgi Loladze said Orbán’s rule had been marked by democratic backsliding, including media control and an electoral system tailored to his advantage.

“Ironically, the system that was entirely designed to benefit him has turned against him,” Loladze said.

He argued that while there were some similarities between Hungary and Georgia, they were limited in scope. He noted that Hungary is both an EU and NATO member and has a tradition of more frequent government turnover.

Loladze further noted the scale of electoral influence seen in Georgia did not exist in Hungary, although he said opposition figure Péter Magyar could offer lessons for Georgian politics and opposition parties.