Work

Countering National-Level Populism with Local Politics? Broadening Participatory Processes in Budapest in Illiberal Hungary

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: This paper explores how political opposition at the local level responds to national populism, focusing on Budapest’s reactions to Viktor Orbán’s government. It addresses the under-researched national–local nexus in populism studies by examining counter-populist strategies rooted in democratic values such as pluralism, inclusion, and solidarity. Through semi-structured interviews and analysis of documents and media, the paper maps how the lord mayor, district mayors, and their teams confront anti-democratic dynamics. By shifting the focus from local populist actors to local opposition, the study highlights the normative foundations of urban resistance to national-level populism.

Source: Problems of Post-Communism

DOI: 10.1080/10758216.2025.2536028

Authors: Robert Csehi, Edit Zgut-Przybylska

Institutions: Corvinus University of Budapest, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Populism, Right-Wing Movements

Subfield: Political Science and International Relations

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDGs: Peace, justice, and strong institutions, Sustainable cities and communities

Open Access status: hybrid

OpenAlex ID: W4413684010

FWCI: 12.06

Cites: 41

Cited by: 3

Related to: 10