Challenges to EU Values in Hungary: How the European Union Misunderstood the Government of Viktor Orbán

The national-conservative government of Hungary has been heavily criticised for the violation of EU values, primarily, the rule of law in recent years. This book looks to the bigger picture in examining the rule-of-law debate between Hungary and the EU. It explores how certain elements of various Hungarian constitutional reforms are interrelated and how the EU has failed to address the situation properly. It is argued here that the reason the EU has been unable to enforce its values effectively in Hungary stems from the misunderstanding that Hungary kept the institutional design of liberal democracy but made it dysfunctional. The debate with the EU is characterized as a dialogue of the deaf as the EU insists on advancing the rule of law agenda, while the Hungarian government defends itself by alluding to its democratic legitimacy. The author contents that the Hungarian government is in fact playing a charade, while the actions of the EU maintain this drama. The book will be of interest to students, academics and policy-makers working in the areas of Constitutional Law and Politics, EU Law, and Populism.