EPRC Seminar: Hungary's Political Left in the 2014 National and European Elections

On Wednesday 18 June, EPRC hosted a seminar by Dr Eamonn Butler, Lecturer in Central and East European Studies at the University of Glasgow. The seminar focussed on one of Hungary's defining political problems - the collapse of an effective opposition on the centre and left of the political spectrum. In light of the results of the 2014 elections, the current state of the political left was examined with regard to matters of trust, leadership, personality and policy preference. The main points of focus were upon how the weaknesses of Hungary's political left have resulted in limited electoral success, and the strengthening of the political right, thus allowing the promotion of key policies which have been so criticised by western media commentators.