The Power of Ministerial Communication : How Viktor Orbán Contributed to the Erosion of Liberal Democracy in Hungary since 2020 through Speeches and Interviews

The following thesis aims to explore the communication habits of the Hungarian Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, between the years 2020 and 2025. Based on the work of Yascha Mounk as a theoretical base, the PM’s speeches and interviews are analysed both on a quantitative and a qualitative basis, in order to track how often and in what way the minister makes use of populist tactics, namely: enemy creation, posturing as a voice for the people, oversimplification and the undermining of free press and opposing institutions or organisations. These findings are then used to explain the democratic backsliding and erosion of liberal values that can be seen over the past years in Hungary, and how human rights have been affected by these changes. By the end of the analysis a clear pattern emerges, showing that the PM regularly utilises populist methods to further his goal of moving the country away from liberal values, with the most commonly found tactic being enemy creation.