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Eurozine ·Future-gazing

Orbánism After Orbán

by Simon Garnett

Published 2026-06-05 11:36:58+00:00

Who takes over a political machine when the leader who built it loses power?

0:00 / 23:16 · Narrator Gacrux

Context

Writing on 5 June 2026, Apolena Rychlíková looks at the European far right in the immediate aftermath of Viktor Orbán’s electoral defeat. With Hungary’s prime minister out of power, the nationalist coalition he anchored suddenly lost its main architect and its direct line to state money. Rychlíková asks who might step in to run this political machine, looking closely at Czech leader Andrej Babiš. The observation holds up months later because it points to a lingering problem. The network of influencers and social anger that fueled Orbánism does not actually need Orbán to survive.

Show notes

An analysis of the European far-right following Viktor Orbán's electoral defeat and the resulting power vacuum within the Patriots for Europe coalition. It tracks Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babiš's reluctance to take over as the movement's new leader. Finally, it details how the think tanks, youth groups, and media outlets built during the Orbán years continue to operate without his control of a national government.

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