Illiberal Contagion?: Hungary and Poland Under Fidesz and PiS

Session Submission Type: Roundtable

Brief Description

In recent years, Hungary and Poland have embarked on regime change from within. Newly elected governments have dismantled democratic institutions created when the communist system fell, refuse to accept limitations by courts, replace professional civil service with political appointees, and use the state to restrict electoral possibilities of opponents. As this explicitly illiberal model garners support elsewhere in eastern Europe (and not only), this group of scholars explores how exactly it works, the socio-economic basis of its success, the remaking of legal institutions, and potential sources of rupture. We propose a Round Table because Poland’s model is so fresh, events move so fast, and in order to discuss (with the audience too) to what extent it actually constitutes a model and what are its main features.

Sub Unit

• Politics/Law

Chair

• Mieke Meurs, American U

Roundtable Members

• David Ost, Hobart & William Smith Colleges

• Gabor Scheiring, U of Cambridge (UK)

• Kim Lane Scheppele, Princeton U

• Karol Edward Soltan, U of Maryland, College Park