After 16 years in power, Viktor Orbán has been decisively removed from office. While his former underlings reportedly burn incriminating government files and send as much of their ill-gotten gains as possible out of the country, Hungary’s new government looks to strengthen the rule of law and the nation’s democracy.
This is a cause for celebration. Orbán’s tenure made Hungary a uniquely disruptive force inside the European Union and a powerful tool that Russia was more than happy to use. While many EU member states have clashed with Brussels from time to time, Hungary under Orbán turned obstruction into a governing philosophy. The Hungarian government repeatedly used its veto power to stall or dilute collective European action.
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