King Ubu in Hungary
Viktor Orbán’s ‘total attack’ on culture
Deutsche Fassung
Abstract
The conquest of the exclusive right to cultural interpretation is one of Viktor Orbán’s key goals. While during his first period in office, he primarily pursued symbolic political strategies, since 2010, his priority has been to replace the cultural elites. His reasons for doing so are not purely ideological; power and money are also motivating factors. Key positions are being filled by Fidesz supporters, institutions are being ‘cleaned up’, committees are being infiltrated and democratic procedures undermined. While the outgrowths of this process of bringing these institutions to heel may often appear absurd, their impact is profound.
(Osteuropa 3-5/2018, pp. 283–296)