Zsuzsanna Vegh

Hungary votes: towards a new era? One month before Hungary is set to vote in the parliamentary elections on 12 April, Péter Magyar’s Tisza party has emerged as a major challenger to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz. This development raises key questions: Could this election bring an end to Orbán’s 16-year hold on power? If so, what would Magyar’s promise of a “regime change” entail – and what does the Tisza’s party stand for in practice?

📌 March 12 (Thu) 2:00 PM CET | Online

With a month to go till the Hungarian election, we discuss w/ @ericmaurice.bsky.social & Corina Stratulat @epc-official.bsky.social & Edit Zgut-Przybylska @ceudeminst.bsky.social what scenarios await the country & the EU.

Register: www.epc.eu/events/hunga...

🇭🇺 Hungary votes: towards a new era?

One month before the 12 April election, Péter Magyar’s Tisza challenges Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz. What is at stake — and how should the EU prepare?

Register 👇
www.epc.eu/events/hunga...

Europe Needs a Voice in Washington German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s third visit to Washington was overtaken by the unfolding war in the Middle East, but Merz emerged unscathed. In fact, the chancellor can claim a central role in…

🇩🇪 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s third visit to Washington was overtaken by the unfolding war in the Middle East, but GMF’s Bennet Nicolaisen argues that Merz emerged unscathed.

🇭🇺 GMF’s Zsuzsanna Végh told the Guardian:

“Effectively, Ukraine is portrayed as a main enemy. This is not just about Ukraine per se, but it fits into the standard strategy of the governing party, of mobilising its electorate through generating fear in society.”

Thank you very much for the shout-out, Cas! I happen to dicuss the very topic today at the symposium of the @sudosteuropa.bsky.social in Regensburg from 3pm CET / 9am ET. We will have a livestream and registration is still open: sogde.org/de/events/sy...

This Friday, I'll be speaking at the symposium "Make Illiberalism Great Again" in Regensburg, exploring how a small state punches far above its weight globally. Organized by @sonjapriebus.bsky.social & @sudosteuropa.bsky.social, I'm glad to join @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social and Ivana Ranković. 1/6

Curious about "Make Illiberalism Great Again - How the Orbán Government is Forging Transnational Alliances"? Join us for the event organized by @sudosteuropa.bsky.social and me on 27 February, 3 p.m. online 👉https://www.sogde.org/de/events/symposion-2026/

The Rise of Illiberal Challengers in Western Europe YouTube video by AUTHLIB

💡 New event video

🎙️Batuhan Eren (Scuola Normale Superiore), @caterinafr.bsky.social @sciencespo-cee.bsky.social, Sylvia Kritzinger (Uni Vienna) & @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social @gmfus.bsky.social explores how illiberal actors shape politics in Austria, Italy & France

👉 www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-42...

Join us in Regensburg or online on Feb 27 (Friday)!

I'll talk about Fidesz's allience building in Europe, but we will also cover its transatlantic networking and influence in the Western Balkans.

Details: sogde.org/de/events/sy...

New Politics Project – European Council on Foreign Relations European politics is undergoing a long-term process of transformation. The mostly stable, big-tent party systems of past decades have given way to more fragment

Keep an eye on the New Politics Project, led by @jeremycliffe.bsky.social & Piotr Buras!

NPP will research how volatility, fragmentation & populism are reshaping European foreign policies, and aims to build a resilient agenda for a stronger, autonomous Europe.

➡️ ecfr.eu/npp

Tisza’s foreign policy offer: Plans for a post-Orban Hungary     – European Council on Foreign Relations After nearly 16 years of Fidesz rule, the centre-right Tisza party stands a chance of winning Hungary’s April election. Under their rule, Budapest would work wi

🌍 With two months until Hungary's next parliamentary election, time to take a look at what the foreign policy offer of Tisza, the main opposition party leading the polls ahead of Fidesz, would mean for the EU.

Read my piece published by the New Politics Project of @ecfr.eu

ecfr.eu/article/tisz...

Tisza’s foreign policy offer: Plans for a post-Orban Hungary     – European Council on Foreign Relations After nearly 16 years of Fidesz rule, the centre-right Tisza party stands a chance of winning Hungary’s April election. Under their rule, Budapest would work wi

After nearly 16 years of Fidesz rule, the centre-right Tisza party stands a chance of winning Hungary’s April election. Under their rule, Budapest would work with Europe, not against it, writes Zsuzsanna Végh. @ecfrpower.bsky.social

🔍Check out the situation in Hungary: https://bit.ly/3Mf4Evj

Delighted to announce the launch of the New Politics Project at @ecfr.eu.

Led by me in Berlin and Piotr Buras in Warsaw, it will 1) research how volatility, fragmentation & populism are reshaping European foreign policies, 2) build a resilient agenda for a stronger, autonomous Europe.

ecfr.eu/npp

📽️ Have you missed our concluding conference mapping the illiberal challenge to liberal democracy in Europe held at the Central European University @weareceu.bsky.social earlier this month?

☝️ Worry not!

Trump’s Greenland threats test loyalty of Europe’s far-right - The World from PRX US threats to take control of Greenland have rattled Europe’s far-right leaders, some of President Trump’s staunchest allies. Just a year ago, many were in Washington celebrating his inauguration. Now...

What will be the fall-out for Europe's far-right leaders who turned on Trump over his threats to seize Greenland? Listen to my report @theworld.org with 🙏 @catherinedevries.bsky.social @ieuniversity.bsky.social @scottlucas.bsky.social @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social @gmfus.bsky.social tiny.cc/8f8y001

US threats over Greenland has sparked a rift with populist party leaders in Europe who have long been Trump allies. How long will it last and is Trump keeping score? @scottlucas.bsky.social @catherinedevries.bsky.social @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social reflect in my report up shortly on @theworld.org

The Rise of Illiberal Challengers in Western Europe: Austria, Italy, and France in Comparative Perspective How do illiberal parties affect democracy in Western Europe? Join our discussion on January 26 (Monday) at 10:00 a.m. CET.

📢 AUTHLIB webinar

How do illiberals challenge democracy in Austria, Italy & France?

🗓️ Jan 26 |🕒 10:00 CET

🎙️Batuhan Eren (Scuola Normale Superiore), @caterinafr.bsky.social @sciencespo-cee.bsky.social, Sylvia Kritzinger (Uni Vienna) & @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social @gmfus.bsky.social

👉 t.ly/DdE4e

📣 𝗨𝗽𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁: European Responses to the Shrinking Spaces of Democracy
🗓️ Tuesday, 20 January 2026
⏰ 09:00–10:30 ET / 15:00–16:30 CET
📍Online

🔗 Register here: www.gmfus.org/event/europe...

🔖 We kicked off the day with AUTHLIB's consortium head, Zsolt Enyedi @zsolt.bsky.social @weareceu.bsky.social introducing the research focus of the project & @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social @gmfus.bsky.social highlighting some of the main achivements of the past 3.5 years.

💥Our AUTHLIB project studying illiberalism in Europe is slowly wrapping up. Starting today, we are discussing some of the main findings of this 3.5-year project at CEU @weareceu.bsky.social in Budapest.

😀 Exciting two days ahead!

The year in review: ECFR readers’ top choices of 2025 – European Council on Foreign Relations Donald Trump has been back in the White House for a whole year, Russia is still waging war in Ukraine and Europeans are trying to reassert their influence in a

Here's ECFR’s most popular reads of 2025, reflecting stark and changing dynamics of the world. Trump has been back in the White House for a whole year, Russia is still waging war in Ukraine and Europeans are trying to reassert their influence in a multipolar world.

Read more:https://bit.ly/48XCqMS

That's a pretty impressive sleep score!

🌍 Three days left to apply to the 2026 Transatlantic Inclusion Leaders Network (TILN) cohort!

Are you ready to lead change and build inclusive communities across the Atlantic?

📣 AUTHLIB Final Conference

🗺️ Mapping the Illiberal Challenge: Patterns, Drivers, Consequences
📅 Jan 8–9, 2026
📍 @weareceu.bsky.social, Budapest

Two days on illiberalism, democracy & democratic responses.

👉 Register today to secure your spot: www.authlib.eu/authlib-fina...

You’re very kind, Cas! It was a great discussion, I enjoyed it very much.

Far-Right Networks in Motion — Webinar on Dec 5, 4 PM CET A discussion on the transnational dynamics of the far right with
@steppe-project.bsky.social @casmudde.bsky.social @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social
steppe.hypotheses.org/2236
📩 Register with mertz@cmb.hu-berlin.de

Hi! I expect colleagues are registering the incoming emails and will follow up with the link closer to the event, not one by one. Maybe send a reminder if you don't hear back by the middle of next week. Thanks a lot for your interest! 🙏

Hungary’s 2026 Elections: The Stakes and Challenges Hungary’s 2026 parliamentary elections offer the greatest opportunity for a change in the country’s leadership since Prime Minister Viktor Orbán assumed power 16 years ago. His time in office has been...

Nov 26, 3pm CET, @gmfus.bsky.social webinar

As the Hungarian parliamentary election campaign takes off, Zsófia Banuta, @danielhegedus.bsky.social, Péter Krekó, Dániel Róna & I discuss parties' chances, tactics & necessary steps to improve election integrity

Register: www.gmfus.org/event/hungar...

Very much looking forward to this discussion on Dec 5!

Happy to be on panel again with the one and only and much too kind @casmudde.bsky.social!

I'll talk about the emerging organizational networks and non-party actors on the far right.

Register via email at dorothee.mertz[at]cmb.hu-berlin.de

Hungary’s 2026 Elections: The Stakes and Challenges Hungary’s 2026 parliamentary elections offer the greatest opportunity for a change in the country’s leadership since Prime Minister Viktor Orbán assumed power 16 years ago. His time in office has been...

🇭🇺#Hungary’s 2026 #Elections: The Stakes and Challenges
📢Join us for this online panel with Zsófia Banuta, Péter Krekó, Dániel Róna, @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social & yours truly
📅Nov 26, 3:00 pm CET / 9:00 am EST
RSVP👉 www.gmfus.org/event/hungar...
@gmfus.bsky.social @engagingce.bsky.social