Issue published: 29 February 2020

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The Uncertain Revival of Central Europe – Central European Thought from a Hungarian Perspective

Andrea Schmidt, p. 1–22

Abstract: The recent crisis that, the European Union has had to face certainly raises questions about the current state of Europe. The question about the legacy of regional integration; the debate between the standpoints about the vision on the European Union with the necessity of strong nations or on the contrary, the opportunity of deepening the cohesion that could lead to the united states of europe; in other words, political integration, the deepest step of regional integration. The paper deals with the problem of the concept on Central Europe from the standpoint of various concepts; the question of mapping, the meaning of borders, the ways of identification appear in this paper. The difference between the concept of mittel europe and central europe also appear in the paper. Analysing the question of Central Europe it is also inevitable to examine the meaning of Central Europe from historical context. After the end of the Cold War and as the consequence of the Euro‑Atlantic integration, the concept of Central Europe changed a bit. While during the bipolar system this phenomenon served as a differentiation of the groups of countries being located in the Soviet sphere of interest. Being Central Europe meant something that was much more engaged with progressive approach in democratization, transformation rather than a sign of nostalgia towards the historical past.

Keywords: political map, regional integration, buffer zone, nation

The Populist phenomena and the reasons for their success in Hungary

Viktor Glied, p. 23–45

Abstract: After the parliamentary elections in 2014, the weakened legitimacy of the Hungarian government could be re‑established through activism in migration issues. Fidesz‑KDNPthat won elections twice already highlighted migration as the main theme of governance from 2014 to 2018, suppressing every other topic on the political agenda.The position that was established for purposes of the Hungarian domestic situation and politics initially faced intense rejections all over Europe, but then garnered some supporters as well, mostly in post‑socialist Central and Eastern Europe, and to a smaller extent among the right‑wing and populist parties of Western Europe. The anti‑refugee and populist approach caused significant success in the communication field to the subscribing parties and governments, and also legitimised Hungarian government’s efforts that could mean it met the majority of the Hungarian society’s expectations. The most essential question is that how can political science reshape its terms and thoughts on populism to understand this phenomenon better, moreover what are the reasons of populism and why is the populist propaganda such successful in Hungary and Eastern Europe.

Keywords: Hungary, populism, history, migration, manipulation

Common Points in the Policy of Italy and Central Europe

Petra Hamerli, p. 47–63

Abstract: Recent news often compares current Italian policy to that of Central Europe –especially Hungary. The latest elections brought victory to right‑wing populism in Italy and the Visegrad countries – especially in Hungary and Poland – with the key points of their discourse concentrated on similar topics such as Euroscepticism, migration and security, which are tightly connected to the refugee question. Right‑wing theories havehistorical traditions both in Italy (Fascism) and Central Europe (rightist and extreme rightist parties) that I think important to summarise, as some of their elements can also be found in the political thinking of nowadays. The paper presents the main parties of Italy and those of the Visegrad countries and compares their common elements to see whether Italy can politically belong to Central Europe.

Keywords: populism, Italy and the Visegrad Group, Euroscepticism, migration

Cultural Trauma – The Case of the Winner

Zoltán Bretter, p. 65–80

Abstract: My study is an analysis of the emergence of the “Golden Dream” narrative in Romania, right after World War I. Along the way, I make some theoretical contributions to cultural trauma studies. ‘Winner’ and ‘loser’ are terms used to define fixed situations. Usually, only the loser (the victim, defeated) might suffer a trauma, while the occurrence of trauma is denied for the winner (the perpetrator, victor). We shall dig a little deeper and wider, demonstrating that Romania, an overall winner of WWI, will face, right after victory, a ‘cultural shock’ which has to be repressed, as part of the “Golden Dream” narrative. Through a detailed, economic, social and political analysis, I’ll be trying to argue that a shattering trauma has engendered in Romanian society; yet another addition to a whole ‘traumatic history’. The ensuing orthodox ethno‑nationalism takes its root from this trauma. From time‑to‑time, we will take a comparative glance at the trauma of the loser, particularly when we will be discussing the omissions of anotherwise seamless narrative.

Keywords: cultural trauma, Romania, Hungary, authoritarianism, interwar period

Political Sources of Hungarian Soft Power

Péter Kacziba, p. 81–111

Abstract: In the past decade, Joseph Nye’s concept of soft power has become a popular tool for analysing and explaining foreign policy directions of countries that lack significant capacities of hard power. Beyond other states, Hungary has also received special attention in this regard as several surveys and indexes have measured a high increase in its soft power efficiency. This paper attempts to analyse how Hungarian domestic and external political approaches supported this assumed progress and seeks to understand how political values, governance practices and foreign policy strategies have influenced the effectiveness of Hungarian soft power. The paper will argue that the recent Hungarian political directions have produced controversial outcomes and the populist orientation has increased and, at the same time, constrained the effectiveness of soft power. It has increased because populist rhetoric has created a much larger international fame and agenda‑setting capacity than would have been expected from a small Central European country. However, it has also been constrained because controversial domestic and conflicting foreign policies were rejected by the European moderate majority. As a result, today, Hungarian external policies suffer from a serious deficit of legitimacy and moral authority which significantly limit the presumed progress of soft power.

Keywords: soft power, Hungarian politics, political values, governance, foreign policy

Hungary’s Pragmatic Foreign Policy in a Post‑American World

István Tarrósy and Zoltán Vörös, p. 113–134

Abstract: This paper seeks to provide an overview of Hungary’s foreign policy priorities since the change of the political system of 1989–90. It intends to critically analyse the rise of pragmatism, in particular, in the new policy chapters of the ‘Turn towards the East’ and the ‘Opening to the South’, while it also looks at the international system itself with its recent developments and how Hungary has behaved in relation to them. Focal attention will be given to certain regions of the world, together with some global issues such as China, Turkey, Russia and Sub‑Saharan Africa, as well as the ongoing refugee crisis and climate change.

Keywords: Hungary, foreign policy, post‑American world, China, Russia, Turkey, strongmen, Africa

Development or reflections of the nonprofit sector in Central and Eastern Europe and Hungary

László Kákai, p. 135–158

Abstract: The CEE countries are celebrating the 15th anniversary of joining the European Union. The ‘feast’ is also of note because the EP elections are just in front of us. Instead of weighing up the expected results, we can surmise that the resolution of Central European voters is now weaker in terms of belonging to the European community and their trust in democratic institutions is also considerably lower than it was in the transition era. But what happened? The answer is too complex to be summarised in just one study; the examination of this issue would require a complex analysis of facts from economic transformation to transitions in social and economic subsystems. Of these elements, I wish to introduce the system‑level transformation and the current state of civil society.

Keywords: nonprofit sector, Central‑Eastern Europe, civil society, NGOs