Orban's message to the US right: Do as I do

Viktor Orban’s message to the American right, worshipfully gathered to hear him on May 20 on the banks of the Danube, was stark: do as I do.

It is a powerful exhortation for Mr Orban practises what he preaches.

In order to remake Hungary in the 12 years since he came to power, Mr Orban and his Fidesz party boldly sought four clear strands of dominance: The media Civic institutions Political maps Civil society 

In Hungary, the prime minister and those allied with him have effective control of most media outlets, including state TV. There is hardly any space available to the independent press. Businesses allied with Mr Orban and his political supporters have taken control of the main outlets. In defiance of the European Union’s (EU) promise of  privacy as a fundamental right, the government of EU member Hungary keeps track of investigative journalists, such as  Szabolcs Panyi and Andras Szabo. It does this by means of Pegasus, military-grade spyware made by the Israeli firm NSO Group.

‼How …