This session examines Hungary under Viktor Orbán as a key example of the modern authoritarian playbook—and the forms of resistance that can challenge it. Often described as a “laboratory of illiberalism,” Hungary illustrates how democratic systems can be reshaped from within, using legal and institutional tools to consolidate power while maintaining the appearance of democracy.

Participants will explore how strategies such as constitutional redesign, institutional capture, court-packing, and electoral manipulation have been used to entrench political control. The session will highlight how law itself can be instrumentalized to weaken checks and balances, restrict civic space, and legitimize repression under a formal legal framework.

At the same time, the session will examine how resistance emerges under these conditions. Drawing on the Hungarian experience, it will highlight the role of grassroots organizing, independent journalism, election protection efforts, and coalition-building in challenging authoritarian dominance and creating openings for change.

The session will also explore how authoritarian rule is sustained through narratives, polarization, and the construction of “internal enemies,” and what it takes for that legitimacy to begin to fracture.

Finally, participants will engage in comparative reflection, connecting Hungary to other contexts such as El Salvador and South Korea to identify shared patterns and adaptive resistance strategies across different settings.

Learning objectives
By the end of the session, participants will be able to:

• Understand Hungary as a key example of contemporary authoritarianism

• Identify core strategies used to consolidate power, including legal and institutional tools

• Analyze how law is used to legitimize repression and weaken democratic safeguards

• Recognize patterns of civic space restriction and attacks on civil society

• Examine how narratives and “internal enemies” are constructed to sustain authority

• Draw lessons from resistance strategies across different contexts

• Apply insights to movement lawyering and advocacy strategies