About
Over the past decade, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has emerged as a central node in the global rise of illiberal politics. Far from being a purely domestic project, Orbán’s model of “illiberal democracy” has increasingly been articulated, legitimized, and expanded through transnational networks that connect political leaders, think tanks, media actors, and economic interests across borders. This symposium examines how the Hungarian government has been actively seeking to transnationalize its political project and position itself as a reference point for like-minded forces in Europe and beyond.

The event will focus on Orbán’s efforts to cultivate strategic alliances, most prominently with actors in the United States. Particular attention will be paid to his relationship with Donald Trump and to connections with conservative intellectual infrastructures such as the Heritage Foundation and other institutions in Europe and beyond that provide ideological support, policy templates, and platforms for mutual legitimation and the dissemination of ideas (e.g. Mathias Corvinus Collegium). In addition, the symposium will explore Hungary’s regional strategy in the Western Balkans, in particular the expansion of Hungarian political and economic influence in the region through investments in media ownership and communication infrastructures.

Introduction
– Dr. Sonja Priebus, Europa-Universität Viadrina, Frankfurt/Oder

Speakers
– Ivana Ranković, Belgrade Centre for Security Policy, Belgrade
– Dr. Gábor Scheiring, Georgetown University Qatar, Doha
– Zsuzanna Végh, German Marshall Fund of the United States, Berlin

REGISTRATION
The event will take place on 27.02.2026 at 15:00-17:00 in a hybrid format. Please register by 18 February 2026.