This publication is the latest in our series of comprehensive annual overviews, focusing on developments, events and trends in Hungary in 2019, as well as an outlook on which topics we expect to dominate Hungarian politics in 2020. It focuses on five broad areas. In the first section we review the year from the perspective of the Hungarian government, with a special emphasis on the impact of the two elections on Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party and the flagship policies of the government. In the second section we look at the opposition parties, their state and prospects after tasting success at the local elections for the first time in more than 10 years. The third section focuses on foreign affairs, in particular the place of Fidesz in European politics after the EP elections, and Hungary’s foreign policy in a global context. In the fourth section, we take a detailed look at how Fidesz's policies have shaped the economy. Finally, some key developments of the Hungarian society – media landscape, increasing government control over culture and science – are discussed. All of the sections conclude with a brief analysis of the issues which may come to the fore in 2020.

Editor: András Bíró-Nagy

Main author: Gábor Győri 

Contributing authors: András Bíró-Nagy, Miklós Sebők 

"Hungarian Politics in 2019" can be downloaded from here.