It seems significant that CPAC is holding a special event titled “God, Homeland, Family" in Budapest. Viktor Orban was the featured speaker: the guy who has dismantled Hungary’s democratic institutions, rewrote the constitution, and rules as an autocrat:
Alright: Everyone cool with this, like it’s totally normal for a US party to celebrate the political values of a character like Orban and solicit his advice on consolidating power? It gives me the creeps. At what point do people on the right say, “Okay, that’s pretty bad”? (Rhetorical question; don’t @ me).
Orban is popular among some conservatives (I doubt most know who he is) because of his hardline on migration during the European migration crisis.
Hungary as well as the rest of countries that make up the Visegrád group said ‘no’ to migrant quotas that were handed out by the EU.
Also I would imagine since conservatives are no fan of Soros they were not unhappy he has been banned from Hungary.
Outside of that, that’s all I can tell you about his appeal to the GOP with the people I have talked to on European politics. The countries that make up the Visegrád group had to endure the horrors of being occupied by the third reich only to be handed off to the horrors of Stalin and communism.
They seem to be more weary of sudden cultural and political changes which happen frequently in Western Europe.
The Visegrád countries as well most all of eastern and most of Central Europe might as well be on a different planet than Western Europe.
My understanding Orban’s shot to fame or infamy considering which side of the political aisle you fall was during the migrant crisis. Before that he wasn’t that popular.
In the most crudest comparison central and Eastern Europe are much more conservative on a whole than Western Europe (Not really sure how long that union will last)
And yes your right with so much focus on migration a character like Orban will be more appealing to the right than someone like Merkel.
The middle in politics have been dropping from sometime imho.
Or packing the courts with like minded judges?
Or having their own state run media, and shutting down all other opposition/rational media?
Or gerrymandering to ensure they always win?
Or Hardcore Christian promotion
Or being Anti LGBT
Or anti "other’ people (usually brown and/or muslim)
I only heard of him in 2015 when millions of migrants where trekking to Europe via Frau Merkel’s “We can do this” followed by Orban’s ■■■■ this.
Like him or hate him most European politicians would love to have his approval rating. It reminds me of Trump when he was at the G7 on the first visit and our media was laughing about his approval in the 40’s while ignoring no politician at the event besides him was over mid 30’s in approval.
Amazing
