The Day Hungary Reclaimed Its FutureA Peaceful Victory Over Authoritarianism
By András Sándor Kocsis
A political tsunami swept through the country. It was fantastic to see the happy people celebrating in the streets on Sunday night. The dam that had been tightened and strained for years by growing social discontent finally burst.
In sociological terms, the critical mass that brought down the Orbán system had already formed more than two years ago. Péter Magyar, with excellent political instinct, recognized the socio-psychological situation that called for the need for a symbolic or actual leader.
For me, the breakthrough was the walk in Oradea, where Magyar clearly sensed the opportunity to channel the growing social dissatisfaction.
Orbán played successfully on the strings of the Hungarian “national psyche” for a long time, but their arrogant self-confidence clouded their political judgment. A characteristic of authoritarian systems is their belief in their own permanence, where the possibility of سقوط is not even considered.
I would like to borrow the wording of Professor Zoltán Fleck: what has happened here is a constitutional revolution within acceptable democratic frameworks.
From a socio-psychological perspective, for 16 years a virtual door had been increasingly closing—one through which the fresh air of freedom should have been flowing. Now that door has burst open, and fresh air once again fills our social environment.
In recent days, many have drawn parallels with the 1848 War of Independence and the 1956 Revolution. Indeed, there are many similarities, but in one crucial aspect the current situation differs. Both of those great revolutions turned into armed संघर्षs with many human casualties and ultimately ended in failure. The current situation is more comparable to the mood of the regime change in 1990, but at that time the old regime was fully aware of the سقوط of state socialism and neither could nor wanted to prevent the process by force. What was new on Sunday is that while 1848 and 1956 were crushed by foreign powers, now the will of the people has freed our country from its own parasitic ruling elite without active external intervention.
The regime that has now fallen did not understand or sense the elemental force of the desire for change. Many people did not believe until the very last moment that a peaceful transition could happen. The explosive, almost revelatory joy among most people comes from the fact that it succeeded.
This time we cannot fail as we did in 1849 and 1956—and I believe we will not! We will need social peace and a great deal of work to clear away the ruins left behind. The power that ruled for 16 years poisoned the soul of society and misled even its own voters with false values. Through constant fear-mongering and maintaining a war psychosis, they created the impression that only Orbán could protect us from our fate. This was a political crime!
The new government and all responsible opinion leaders bear enormous responsibility in removing this poison from the body of society. We need moral and ethical renewal. The signs are favorable, and beyond talent, the new political elite will need serious wisdom.
I also consider the international message of this remarkable election very important. For far-right illiberal parties gaining ground but not yet in power in Europe, this is a serious warning: a society’s healthy immune system can activate itself.
I would especially like to thank the leaders and members of the armed forces and the police, who ensured a peaceful transition both in 1990 and now. The brave and firm stance of the two captains was particularly important.
It is a very good feeling that the legitimacy of the election is being recognized one after another, and that important world leaders and political actors are congratulating Péter Magyar. Even Hollywood has reacted, as many there also sense and understand the real and symbolic significance of this election for world politics.
To quote István Bibó: ‘…Freedom begins where fear ends.’
Since Monday, I’ve been seeing more and more smiling, happy faces on trams and in the метро. It’s a wonderful feeling.
Democratic thinking recognizes no boundaries between citizens; it acknowledges everyone’s right to live without fear.
It feels very good to be Hungarian again, not to walk with bowed head in our conflict-ridden world. The world does not need autocratic leaders, but wise, decisive, empathetic ones who understand their nation’s interests while also respecting other countries’ cultures and visions.
Thank you for allowing me to be proud of my Hungarian identity again!
Happy new years, Hungary!
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András Sándor Kocsis was the CEO of one of the largest Hungarian publishing groups for 30 years and the president of the Hungarian Book Distributor and Publishers Association for a long time. Author of 16 books, currently the owner and managing director of KAS Publishing House