The first event in the "Liberalism – Conservatism – Populism in Central Eastern Europe" series examines the influence that the back-and-forth between liberalism, conservatism, and populism exerts on the institutional, political, and social fabric of the Visegrád states (V4). In these highly polarized societies, changes of government between political antipodes typically go hand in hand with a restructuring of the legal framework of the political system, personnel changes at the top of state institutions, and their transformation or dismantling. To what extent does this affect their political neutrality — and, when constitutional courts are involved, for example, the oversight function within the system of checks and balances? What role do the frequently fast-rising and often quickly disappearing parties play in the political system, parties that are often carried by individual political figures? What expectations does society hold toward the state and political parties, and what reactions does their politics provoke? And particularly relevant given current debates: can the dismantling and restructuring of liberal democratic institutions and societal division simply be reversed after a change of government? These questions will be discussed by experts, with a particular focus on current developments following the electoral defeat of Viktor Orbán.

Guests:

• Tanja Börzel (SCRIPTS)
• Kai-Olaf Lang (German Institute for International and Security Affairs)
• Daniel Hegedüs (Institute for European Politics)

Moderator:

• Irene Hahn-Fuhr (Zentrum Liberale Moderne)

About the Series

Liberalism – Conservatism – Populism in Central Eastern Europe: Political Fault Lines and the Transformation of Political Culture in the Visegrád States of Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary

Situating the Visegrád states (V4) and their societies politically — between liberalism, conservatism, and authoritarian populism — is no easy task. Political majorities have been swinging between these poles for years, usually with narrow margins. In Poland, the liberal Civic Platform defeated the national-conservative PiS in 2023 — yet the 2025 presidential election was won by the PiS candidate. In Slovakia, left-wing nationalist Robert Fico returned to power in 2023 after five years in opposition. The Czech populist party ANO lost to a liberal-conservative alliance in 2021, only to triumph again in 2025. Hungary alone seemed to stand apart, with Viktor Orbán's "illiberal democracy" appearing stable for a long time — until Péter Magyar pushed him from office in April after 16 years in power.

This oscillation was long considered a peculiarity of post-communist states. Today, similar processes are visible across many parts of Europe. Were these countries simply ahead of developments now recognized as general symptoms of crisis within liberal democracy? Through this event series, we aim to draw a nuanced picture of sociopolitical developments in the region and shed light on the causes of these pendulum swings: How significant are regional particularities? What are pan-European trends? To address these questions, we look at socioeconomic factors and historical experiences, as well as the influence of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine.