The conversation with Péter Techet in Tagesspiegel about how Hungary´s economy has not benefited from the political friendship between Orbán and Trump was also quoted in the German daily newspaper Handelsblatt.
The article can be read here.
The German daily newspaper Tagesspiegel spoke with Péter Techet about whether Hungary could financially benefit from the political friendship between Viktor Orbán and Donald Trump. Techet explained that U.S. tariffs within the EU primarily affect Hungary and Slovakia—two countries whose prime ministers are considered allies of Trump. Techet believes that the close relationship between Orbán and Trump is mainly beneficial for both politicians in terms of domestic politics: Orbán can present himself as a global player, while Trump can provoke the liberal and left-wing mainstream with Orbán. Economically, however, there is no special relationship between the two countries to be seen—Hungary has not yet been able to benefit from Trump’s presidency.
The article can be read here.
On the online portal of the Hungarian minority in Austria (Rólunk.at), Péter Techet was interviewed about the contemporary significance of the Central European culture and the reasons behind current nationalism.
The interview can be read here.
In the Swiss daily newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Péter Techet published an essay on the parallels between the rhetoric of sovereignty used by Hungarian elites in the Habsburg Monarchy and that in the European Union. Just like the Hungarian elites in the Habsburg Monarchy rejected any form of democratization and federalization in their “struggle against Vienna,” Viktor Orbán today uses the rhetoric of “sovereignty” to secure his own power against the Hungarian people and the European Union. According to Techet, this rhetoric of sovereignty is by no means “anti-imperialist” but rather fundamentally anti-pluralistic and therefore anti-democratic.
The article can be read here.
In an Op-Ed for the Hungarian weekly HVG, Péter Techet analyzes Viktor Orbán’s “anti-imperial” rhetoric. The Hungarian Prime Minister repeatedly compares today’s Brussels to Habsburg Vienna. Techet argues—referring to an article by Hermann Bahr from 1911—that this “Hungarian” rhetoric was already used in the Habsburg Monarchy to maintain the power of an oligarchy.
You can read the article here.
In an article for the Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard, which was also published on the blog of the Research Group for Eastern Europe at the Institute of Political Science of the University of Vienna, Péter Techet analyzes the path of Viktor Orbán’s challenger, Péter Magyar, and his chances in the upcoming parliamentary elections in 2026.
The article can be read here.
On the program of the independent media platform Partizán, Péter Techet analysed the significance of the EU Summit in Budapest, focusing on its relevance within Hungary’s EU Council Presidency and the context of Hungarian domestic politics.
The video can be watched here (starting at 1 hour and 4 minutes):
In an op-ed for the Austrian daily Die Presse, Péter Techet, on the occasion of the 68th anniversary of the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, discusses attempts in Hungary to reinterpret this anti-Soviet uprising in line with the pro-Russian course of Budapest’s foreign policy.
On October 23, Hungary celebrates the anti-Soviet revolution of 1956. Despite this, and the expectation that Hungary should support Ukraine’s current fight for freedom, Budapest continues to pursue a pro-Russian course — with some government politicians even reinterpreting the 1956 revolution to align with it. Techet compares this new approach to memory politics to the Goulash Communism before 1989, when the 1956 revolution was similarly deemed irresponsible.
The article can be read here.
In the Hungarian-language edition of the Slovak daily Denník N, Péter Techet analyzed the speech of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, he had in the European Parliament. Techet argued that Orbán did not respond to the questions or criticisms raised against him but instead reinterpreted them to his advantage.
The full article can be read here.
The program “Im Fokus” on Ö1 had a conversation with Péter Techet about Hungary’s church policy, discussing the tensions within Hungary’s Christian churches and how they impact their close relationship with Orbán’s government.
The program can be heard here.
