Politico: “For Hungary’s opposition, next year’s election is literally make-or-break. Polls suggest a disparate alliance of six parties has a real shot at ending the rule of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, the champion of ‘illiberal democracy,’ who has been in power since 2010. But the highly diverse nature of the alliance – from liberal millennials to small-town conservatives – is a double-edged sword.”

“When it comes to electoral math, only a broad opposition bloc can appeal to enough voters to take on Orbán. But having such a broad coalition means tensions and rivalries are never far from the surface. The parliamentary election, expected next spring, is high-stakes for Europe as well as Hungary. If Orbán wins another term, the highly strained relationship between Budapest and the EU mainstream will be tested even further. Orbán has already parted ways with the European People’s Party center-right alliance. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte even suggested last month that it might be time for Hungary to leave the EU itself. A defeat for Orbán and his nationalist Fidesz party would present the possibility of a reset in relations with the EU – although how that would unfold is highly uncertain, given the wide range of views within the opposition alliance. ‘The anti-Orbán opposition in Hungary is a product of despair,’ said philosopher Gáspár M. Tamás, a Communist-era dissident who later served as a member of Hungary’s parliament. ‘From ‘woke’ identity politics to sexist, racist, deeply reactionary talk, everything can be found within this opposition,’ Tamás said.”