The defeat of Viktor Orban is a big, big deal. He’s not only a core symbol of the global authoritarian movement. His regime was also the laboratory, the rallying point and a source of funding, a location to operate from. It’s important to note that he was defeated by what is essentially a center-right party, led by a defector from Orban’s party. But from appearances at least it’s a center-right party that plans to operate within the structures of civic democracy. I wanted to note that perhaps in spite of himself Orban, bad as he is, managed to again illustrate just what a weak and fraudulent man Donald Trump. He managed to do what Trump has never been able to do, concede defeat.
This is a big and consequential defeat for global Team Strongman.