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The Institute for Political Science has achieved outstanding publication performance in international journals between 2019 and 2022
12 June
New journal article – Benedek in Politics in Central Europe
25 February
A co-authored study by István Benedek, a Research Fellow at our Institute, titled “Return to Power: The Illiberal Playbook from Hungary, Poland, and the United States”, has been published in the journal Politics in Central Europe.
Dodds, G.G.., Joński, K., Rogowski, W.F.., Bozóki, A. & Benedek, I. Return to Power: The Illiberal Playbook from Hungary, Poland and the United States. Politics in Central Europe, 2024, Sciendo, vol. 20 no. 4, pp. 487-527.
The article examines how illiberal leaders’ behaviour towards the judiciary changes when they have a second chance in power. Drawing on Varieties of Democracy indicators for populist rhetoric and constitutional change, it identifies several OECD worst performers and focus on two – Poland and Hungary – whose illiberal leaders ascended to power for a second time. For Hungary, the article examines PM Orbán’s first time in office, time in opposition and second time in office, when he undertook reforms of the Constitutional Court, Supreme Court and other courts. For Poland, it examines the Kaczyńskis’ party’s first time in office, opposition and return to power, when it undertook campaigns against a variety of constitutional institutions.
The article finds the first mandate of such leaders is characterised by strong rhetoric and chaos, they consolidate control of their party while out of power, and in their second mandates they are much more effective and extreme in undermining judicial independence and the rule of law. The experiences of Poland and Hungary have important implications for the United States. In his first term, Donald Trump undertook various actions that undermined the judiciary, and his actions while out of office align with those of Orbán and Kaczyński, such that Trump’s second term might well pose a significant threat to the US judiciary.
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