Youth Extremism in Budapest
Relevant issues and trends
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.57947/qrp.v62i3.77Keywords:
Hungary, Fidesz, extremism, youth, immigrationAbstract
Around the globe, young people appear to be interested in and joining extremist groups – from violent jihadist movements to militant left-wing groups. Despite the political fragmentation that appears to be a global phenomenon, in many countries, these groups have remained fringe groups. This is not the case in Hungary. Here, the government itself has stimulated extremism. The ruling party, Fidesz, has created an illiberal state, and many young Hungarians seem to favor illiberal or other undemocratic governmental structures over democratic alternatives. This paper seeks to highlight some recent changes in the perception of young people by analyzing shifts in issue perception and importance among young extremist acolytes in Hungary. Particular attention has been paid to the issues of migration, the Trianon trauma narrative, anti-Semitism, trans-people and women’s rights. Some of the changes in perception have occurred in association with massive governmental propaganda efforts, which influence the interest of and civic engagement among young extremist acolytes. The paper emphasizes that extremist youth’s focus has been adjusting to new political and global topics, such as the American trope of ‘woke-ness’ and issues surrounding trans-people. However, much of the ongoing discourse has remained firmly anchored in the peculiar regional and national Hungarian circumstances. Social media has interlinked many geographically distant groups and allowed for an avid exchange of ideas between youth globally. Some issues, such as immigration, are universally opposed by right-wing extremists; however, the underlying reasons differ greatly and are influenced by the national political discourse. Other topics that might be seen as extremely relevant by U.S.-based youth extremists, e.g., identity issues, such as homosexuality and women’s rights, are understood differently by Hungarian right-wing youth. However, even among Hungarian youth on the political right, there is diversity among cohorts whose political ideologies and life experiences are nuanced and based on a number of structural and political developments.
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