The US right's response to Orban's playbook

Photo by Natilyn Hicks (Natilyn Photography) on Unsplash

Viktor Orban’s message to the American right is a crash course on the great replacement of “progressive dominance”.

How is it being received?

Let’s consider the four strands of dominance sought and acquired by Mr Orban and his Fidesz party in order to remake Hungary since 2010 as an “illiberal democracy”: The media Civic institutions Political maps Civil society 

Well, the American right is listening and learning.

First, the media. Far-right US media channels already exist, of course, though they haven’t been able to annihilate their rivals at the other end of the political spectrum. That said, there is quite enough oxygen provided to the cause by Fox and its ilk.

The 38-second video message sent by Fox anchor Tucker Carlson to the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) special meeting in Hungary extolled it as a template for America: “I can’t believe that you’re in Budapest and I am not. What a wonderful country. And …