Since 2010, Viktor Orban has consolidated power as prime minister of Hungary, a central European country whose democratic institutions he has weakened primarily through a form of governance he terms "illiberal democracy" as well as through the nationwide advancement of Christian nationalism.

Iowa City Foreign Relations Council Executive Director Peter Gerlach talks with guest Ben Novak, a former reporter for the New York Times (2018-2022) who was based in Budapest, Hungary, and a research affiliate at the Central European University Democracy Institute. They discuss the intersections of modern Hungarian politics and religion, how the people there are impacted by Orban's autocratic policies, and why some here in America view Orban's leadership as a model for the United States in 2025 and beyond.

The Iowa City Foreign Relations Council presents this event as part of its Democracy Series. Watch other programs from this series along with over 250 other ICFRC programs at citychannel4.com/icfrc.

The Iowa City Foreign Relations Council is a community passionate about learning, connecting, and engaging with international issues that promotes understanding by hosting forums with diverse, global voices and perspectives. For more information, please visit icfrc.org.