What should I call it? – A discussion on the nature of the past 16 years
Date: 08 June 2026, 9:30-14:30
Location: Corvinus University of Budapest, Building C, C 104
Language of the event: Hungarian
At the dawn of the transition to democracy, in December 1990, at the initiative of György Bence, the Department of the History of Philosophy at ELTE and the Budapest Book Review (BUKSZ), which still exists today, organized a symposium titled “Did We See It Coming?” on the unexpected and rapid collapse of the socialist world system. In many respects, the situation is similar today, given the results of the 12 April 2026 parliamentary elections.
In response to this situation, the Institute of Economics at Corvinus would like to facilitate academic discourse on the type of governance our country has been under for the past 16 years through a half-day conference organized on short notice before the summer university break.
Planned program:
9:30 – 9:35 Dániel Horn, Fullprofessor, Head of the Institute, Corvinus Institute of Economics: Opening Remarks
9:35 – 9:55 Tamás Bauer, Professor Emeritus, Goethe University Frankfurt, MTA KTI: What is Orbánism?
9:55 – 10:15 Bálint Magyar, Senior Research Fellow, CEU Democracy Institute: Post-Communist Mafia State, a Distinct Type of Autocracy
10:15 – 10:35 Zoltán Pogátsa, Associate Professor, University of Sopron: A Captured State, Neoliberal Public Policy
10:35 – 10:55 Balázs Váradi, Associate Professor, ELTE Faculty of Law; Budapest Institute: A hybrid regime, implementing right-wing, nationalist, and centralizing public policies and a gradually fading clientelist system
10:55 – 11:15 Break
11:15 – 11:30 Péter Mihályi, Corresponding Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (MTA), Professor Emeritus, Corvinus – Iván Szelényi, Full Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Professor Emeritus, Yale University): The Incorporation of the Category of Illiberal Democracy into Max Weber’s Taxonomy and the Post-1989 Post-Communist World Order.
11:30 – 11:45 István P. Székely, Honorary University Professor, Corvinus: The European Union and Hungary: Fading Dreams and Betrayed Trust
11:45 – 13:25 Questions and Discussion: Moderator: Márton Katona, Assistant Professor, Corvinus
13:25 – 13:30 Closing Remarks
Participation is free, but registration is required.