Hungary Avoided Democratic Collapse. Can We?

The New Yorker staff writer Andrew Marantz joins Tyler Foggatt to discuss Péter Magyar, the new Prime Minister of Hungary, whom Marantz recently interviewed for the magazine . Marantz tells Foggatt about how Magyar defeated the longtime incumbent, Viktor Orbán—despite intervention by Donald Trump and his allies, and Orbán’s extensive influence over the Hungarian media—and why many Hungarians, after years of democratic backsliding and alleged corruption, ultimately turned against their deeply entrenched leader. Foggatt and Marantz also explore the challenges of governing after authoritarianism without reproducing its abuses of power, and whether Hungary’s political transition offers lessons for other democracies confronting illiberal movements. This week’s reading: “ Péter Magyar Led Hungarians out of Autocracy. Where Will He Take Them Now? ,” by Andrew Marantz “ Why Spain Is Standing Up to Donald Trump ,” by Ishaan Tharoor “ Why Trump’s Spiritual Adviser Dedicated a Golden Statue to the President ,” by Isaac Chotiner “ The Art of the Ceasefire ,” by Sudarsan Raghavan “ Rumors of Instability in Moscow ,” by Joshua Yaffa See the Washington Roundtable live at 92NY on June 4th. The Political Scene draws on the reporting and analysis found in The New Yorker for lively conversations about the big questions in American politics. Join the magazine’s writers and editors as they put into context the latest news—about elections, the economy, the White House, the Supreme Court, and much more. New episodes are available three times a week. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

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Hungary Avoided Democratic Collapse. Can We? is an episode from The Political Scene | The New Yorker by The New Yorker.

This episode is 39:45 long.

This episode was published on May 13, 2026.

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