In this episode of Democracy for Sale, Peter Geoghegan is joined by Professor Kim Lane Scheppele to unpick the high-stakes election in Hungary. With Orbán trailing in the polls for the first time in sixteen years, we investigate the transnational network of money and influence fighting to keep him in power. From JD Vance’s surprise appearance at a Budapest rally to the “Golden Spider” web connecting far-right movements across Europe, this is a forensic look at the “Hungarian Playbook” and how it is being exported to the United States via Project 2025.
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- South Korea’s ‘Willfully Unmarried’ Movement, by Hawon Jung – 29 January 2026
- Generation Z in Iran: A Contemporary Perspective, by Sharareh Akhavan – 6 September 2026
- The ‘Anti-Imperialism’ of Idiots, by Leila Al Shami – 14 April 2018
- China FAQ – Wasn’t China a Communist Country Under Mao? – 23 July 2022
- Global Islamophobia and the Rise of Populism. Presentations by Audrey Truschke and Ivan Kalmar – 3 June 2025
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