A 16-year experiment has yielded none of Viktor Orban’s stated goals, writes @johanknorberg.bsky.social, a senior fellow at the @cato.org. https://wapo.st/4c03oos

Freedom itself is at stake in Hungary Sunday’s election will show if it’s possible to defeat Orbán’s illiberal democracy

www.ft.com/content/eecc...

Martin Wolf in The Financial Times: ”Johan Norberg, a well-known ’classical liberal’, has written a devastating analysis of Orbán’s takeover of the Hungarian state for the Cato Institute … Norberg’s description of Orbán’s method for accumulating power is telling and chilling.”

How Viktor Orbán’s Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free Markets Many on the right see Viktor Orbán’s Hungary as a model. In fact, it is a cautionary tale of unrestrained executive power and crony capitalism.

From @johanknorberg.bsky.social, a new study. Thorough, honest -- and timely. Support Orbán if you must. But know what you are supporting. www.cato.org/policy-analy...

How Viktor Orbán’s Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free Markets Many on the right see Viktor Orbán’s Hungary as a model. In fact, it is a cautionary tale of unrestrained executive power and crony capitalism.

12/ This is the real legacy of Orbán’s system – and why even a tilted playing field may not be enough to secure another victory on April 12. Here is my study, with data and sources, published today by the Cato Institute: www.cato.org/policy-analy...

11/ The transition from communism to capitalism has been compared to turning fish soup back into an aquarium. Impressively, most countries pulled it off. Hungary stands out as the country that, after having restored a functioning aquarium, chose to pour it back into the pot.

10/ Hungarians even seem to be turning away from religion as Orbán is politicising it. Between 2011 and 2022, the share identifying as Christian fell from 54% to 42.5%. Hungary is one of only three countries in Central and Eastern Europe where fewer than two-thirds believe in God.

9/ Even its celebrated family policies disappoint. Despite spending an incredible 5.5% of GDP on family support, this produced only a temporary rise in fertility, followed by decline, from 1.61 in 2021 to 1.31 in 2025. Births are at record lows.

8/ At times, Fidesz crosses the line from undue favoritism into sheer plunder. In 2013, the central bank diverted nearly 1% of GDP to pro-government foundations. In 2021, universities, businesses, and billions in assets were handed to foundations controlled by political allies.

7/ Public money flowed to oligarchs close to power. By 2021, firms linked to Fidesz were six times more likely to win government contracts. Hungary now ranks alongside China, Cuba and South Africa on corruption.

6/ The free market was replaced by political favoritism. Property rights were weakened, private pensions expropriated, and independent firms pushed out by targeted taxes, regulation, and newly created monopolies.

5/ Media capture followed. Public broadcasting became a propaganda tool. Independent outlets were squeezed with taxes, regulation, and ad boycotts until they sold to loyalists, who were then rewarded with state support. Hungary fell from 23rd to 68th place in press freedom.

4/ Orbán once argued that it was enough to win power once – if you did it properly. In 2010, his Fidesz party did. It then rewrote the constitution, packed the courts, neutralized oversight bodies, and rewrote electoral laws in its favor.

3/ This was by design. Orbán has openly argued for an “illiberal state,” citing Russia and China as examples, and dismissed checks and balances as “a U.S. invention that for some reason of intellectual mediocrity Europe decided to adopt.”

2/ Since Orbán took power in 2010, Hungary has fallen from the world’s 31st-freest country to 67th in the Cato/Fraser Human Freedom Index. In Freedom House’s index, it is now the first EU country no longer classified as “free.”

1/ Orbán’s Hungary is often praised on the American Right. But after 16 years, we now know what that model delivers, and my new study shows it is the opposite of the American tradition of rule of law and free markets. 🧵

From Athens to Sparta: How Trumpism Is Driving America’s Decline Civilizations commit suicide when they build walls against the outside world

At @theunpopulist.net by @johanknorberg.bsky.social: Unless America reverses course and rediscovers its openness and confidence, historians will mark this moment as when it followed other great civilizations down a suicidal path: open.substack.com/pub/theunpop...

The Economist: The 40 best books published so far this year:

Without optimism, we won't reach our next golden age The most gratifying thing about studying golden ages, like ancient Athens, Rome, Abbasid Baghdad, Song China, Renaissance Italy and the Dutch Republic, is that you can’t help but be inspired by the re...

“In 200 years, the share of people in extreme poverty globally has been reduced from roughly 8 out of 10 to fewer than 1 out of 10. Life expectancy has shot up from 30 to 74. We have had a good run over these 200 years.” — @johanknorberg.bsky.social capx.co/without-opti...

How golden ages really start—and end The greatest civilisations of the past 3,000 years were the opposite of MAGA

www.economist.com/culture/2025...

Incredible review of Peak Human in The Economist:

"Mr Norberg adds fresh details and provocative arguments [and] deftly punctures popular misconceptions.
Could a history book be more timely?
America’s president will not read it, but others should."

Peak Human – Atlantic Books Golden ages are marked by periods of spectacular cultural flourishing, scientific exploration, technological achievement and economic growth: Ancient Greece gave us democracy and the rule of the law; ...

More info here: atlantic-books.co.uk/book/peak-hu...

Look! They sent me a copy of my new book and it’s beautiful. Perfect timing to be writing about the end of civilisations.

🇬🇧🇪🇺 1 May, 🇺🇸 2 Sept

Yes. And collective.

Måtte den aldrig sluta.

Vilket mysigt omdöme ändå. Tack.

The longest suicide note in economic history.

I’m deeply honored and truly overwhelmed to be this year’s recipient of the Hayek Book Prize — and to now find myself in the company of such distinguished thinkers as Thomas Sowell, Matt Ridley and Deirdre McCloskey.

Det charmigaste med ChatGPT är att den envisas med att hitta på bättre namn på mina gamla böcker. Vissa tror att AI är en frälsare, andra att den är en förgörare. I själva verket är den ett busfrö.

Nästan som gamla tider, ju.