Embedded Autocracy - by András Bozóki & Zoltán Fleck (Hardcover)

About the Book

The Embedded Autocracy uses the conceptual tools and theories of social science to describe a virulent autocracy. The new Hungarian autocracy differs from classical dictatorships in many respects, but its despotic features are striking when interpreted in terms of democratic principles and values.

Book Synopsis

The Embedded Autocracy uses the conceptual tools and theories of social science to describe a virulent autocracy. The new Hungarian autocracy differs from classical dictatorships in many respects, but its despotic features are striking when interpreted in terms of democratic principles and values.

Review Quotes

"Delve into the labyrinth of Hungary's political landscape with Embedded Autocracy: Hungary in the European Union. Bozóki and Fleck go beyond the superficial, unveiling the entrenched roots of Hungarian autocracy within society. Their nuanced exploration peels back the layers of the Orbán regime, revealing a complexity that continues past leadership or institutional shortcomings. This interdisciplinary work, straddling the realms of political science and legal scholarship, isn't just about Hungary--it's a beacon for global democracy. Essential for policymakers and scholars alike, it offers vital insights into understanding and combating the erosion of the rule of law and democratic decline."

"How do you embed an autocracy? Unless you are handed one on a plate it can take a lot of work. But it rarely starts from scratch. Many autocratic ingredients are likely there already, but it needs a sinister master chef who knows how to combine them, augment them with flavours and spices of his own, and then keep stirring the pot. Hungary had the ingredients, and it has the chef. That is the story of the regime that has ruled Hungary since 2010. It is a remarkable story, here well and insightfully told, in all its layered, excruciating, and ultimately bitter detail. Not a happy one, but fascinating and remarkably complex. The book turns out to be both a recipe-book for a particularly unpalatable concoction, and a thriller with no happy ending in sight."

"This book is a terrific critical analysis of the 'de-democratization' of the Hungarian regime under the four-term rulership of Prime Minister Viktor Orban. I can't imagine a better informed or more informative and interesting book on Hungary's descent into illiberalism and 'embedded autocracy.' Written by Bozoki and Fleck, two of the top Hungarian scholars and public intellectuals writing on the topic, it will be indispensable for experts and generalists alike."

Bozóki and Fleck, authors of several publications on post-communist transition and post-communist development in Hungary, offer a book about the causes and processes of the decline of democracy and the rise of electoral authoritarianism in Hungary. They describe the process of gradual deterioration of liberal democracy in the country, which culminated in the economic and financial crisis between 2008 and 2010, the year in which Victor Orbán came to power with an overwhelming parliament majority. The authors later focus on the deconsolidation of democracy during the first years of the Orbán regime by looking at his personal characteristics and the large social acceptance of his regime. Separately, Bozóki and Fleck analyze the political context of the European Union, which simultaneously constrains, financially supports, and ideologically legitimizes the embedded autocracy in Hungary. Finally, the authors characterize the current political regime in the country as acting permanently in a state of emergency, placing political will over the constraining power of institutions. Methodologically, the book uses analytical narratives in a language comprehensible for university students trained in comparative politics. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty.

About the Author

András Bozóki is Professor at the Department of Political Science at the Central European University in Vienna, Austria.

Zoltán Fleck is Professor at the Department of Legal and Social Theory at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest, Hungary.