Open University Course on the Question Marks of Hungary's Government and Regime Change

CEU’s Bibó Open university program started a new course on „Questions about government and regime change in Hungary” under the direction of Blinken OSA Archivum researcher Professor Gábor Tóka. The course engages several hundred in a hybrid format, in person and over Zoom, with roundtable discussions where expert specialists from academia and the private sector answer questions about what may, what arguably should, and what cannot happen once long-serving prime minister Viktor Orbán steps down for whatever reason, taking his controversial priorities with him.

The first roundtable shown on our pictures featured Éva Palócz, CEO of a major economic forecasting firm and vice-president of the Hungarian Association of Economists discussing matters of economic policy from the above angle with Professor György Surányi, noted for his major contributions to economic policy in the country especially during his two terms as President of the Hungarian National Bank.

Forthcoming sessions from February 25 to 11 March shall discuss what special challenges a new prime minister may need to handle, with what means and prospects of survival, given the impactful legacy of Orbán in every important segment of the political machinery, the private sector, and society at large; if and how a change of government can lead to more or in fact even less democracy in the country; and what role, if any, elections can play, and how, in changing the government in the current authoritarian setting. A more detailed syllabus of the course as well as a link to register for online or in-person attendance are available at https://biboszabadegyetem.org/kurzus/kormany-es-rendszervaltasi-kerdojelek-magyarorszagon/