Hungary received an aggregate freedom score of 76 out of 100, where top score of a 100 indicates the most free democracy.

Last year Hungary scored 79 points. Evaluating developments in central Europe, authors of the report pointed out measures by Poland’s governing right-wing Law and Justice party PiS. They make reference to observers describing PiS’s actions “as an accelerated and condensed version of what the ruling Fidesz party has accomplished in Hungary since 2010”.

“Both governments have repudiated liberal values, attacked the institutions of pluralism, and sought to use the economic power of the state for partisan political ends. While the PiS has focused on providing economic benefits to its core constituents, Fidesz has manipulated laws and state contracts to enrich an affiliated business elite that can buttress its future political dominance,” the FH report said.

It said that the Hungarian prime minister’s system stands “as an appealing model for elected political leaders with authoritarian leanings”. FH said it expected a further spread of such “illiberal democracy” in central Europe and in the Balkans.

Republished with permission of Hungary Matters, MTI’s daily newsletter.