The COVID-19 pandemic has seen a significant weakening not only of human health, but also of democratic processes and the functioning of state institutions. State of emergencies have been misused in certain countries to make changes, the nature of which is in conflict with the upholding of the rule of law and the functioning of checks and balances in a democratic environment.

How is it possible to reverse these developments of cumulation of power and the creation of structural non-pluralism?

Focusing on the example of Hungary, this podcast describes how the government used the pretext of a health threat to implement the ideology-based policy of the ruling party, Fidesz.

Daniel Martinek discusses, with Zsuzsanna Vegh, the autocratic side-effects of the pandemic and how to cure them. Vegh is a research fellow at the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) and an associate researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR). She focuses on, amongst others, Hungarian and foreign policy and on democratization and regional cooperation in Central Europe.

“Central Europe Explained” (CEE) is a podcast series produced by the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe, powered by Erste Group. Credits: hosted by Daniel Martinek and produced by Emma Hontebeyrie.

*[Fair Observer is a media partner of Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe.]

The views expressed in this post are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect Fair Observer’s editorial policy.