Corruption, Censorship, and Inflation in Hungary: When Does Society Say “Enough”?

After nearly 16 years in power, Viktor Orbán lost the election — one of the most significant political turning points in contemporary Europe. In Hungary, the pro-European, centre-right candidate Péter Magyar won, promising to restore relations with the EU and strengthen the rule of law.

We will discuss the factors behind this shift in Hungarian society with Dr Žilvinas Švedkauskas and NARA journalists Denis Vėjas and Austėja Pūraitė.

This election was marked by an unusually high level of public mobilisation. Mass opposition rallies took place across the country, accompanied by increasingly direct chants such as “Orbán, get out!” Voter turnout was among the highest in recent decades, showing that this was not merely a political choice, but a vote on the country’s direction.

Orbán had long been seen as the architect of “illiberal democracy” — he weakened institutions, controlled the media, frequently blocked EU decisions, cooperated with Russia, and delayed support for Ukraine. But his defeat had been a long time in the making.

At this #DemocracyDrinks event, we will ask: how does such a political turning point happen? To what extent is it driven by the economy and growing public dissatisfaction, and to what extent by the efforts of independent journalists to expose and speak out against corruption?

For years, investigative journalism in Hungary consistently uncovered corruption schemes, the misuse of public funds, and ties between government and business. There is little doubt that these investigations significantly contributed to the system losing legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

In this conversation, we will discuss:

• What determined Orbán’s defeat — the economy, corruption, or geopolitics?
• Can investigative journalism contribute to political change?
• How does information spread when the media is restricted?
• Can a “captured” state be changed through democratic means?
• What does this shift in Hungary mean for Europe and its political future?