We would like to invite everyone to the Republikon Institute's upcoming conference on Thursday, October 9, the first half of which is entitled "Illiberalism in the Visegrad Group" and the second half "The Culture Warriors Club - or how politics interferes with culture." The event will begin at 10 a.m. at Magvető Café.
ILLIBERALISM IN THE VISEGRÁD GROUP
Although the rise of illiberalism is a global phenomenon, it is fair to say that the policies of some countries in Central and Eastern Europe are at the forefront of this trend. Hungary's pioneering Prime Minister Viktor Orbán paved the way for other V4 leaders, such as Andrej Babiš of the Czech Republic, Mateusz Morawiecki of Poland, and Robert Fico of Slovakia, who, despite their many differences, have strikingly similar attitudes toward liberal democratic institutions. The impact of illiberalism is not limited to a single policy area: economic, social, and foreign policy issues are all affected. It is extremely important to understand how and whether similarities can be found between illiberal policy trends in the Visegrad countries.
Do countries led by illiberal governments share certain policy "best practices"? Is there a recognizable, ideology-based illiberal pattern among the V4 countries, or are we merely witnessing pragmatic political networking among like-minded leaders and groups? Does illiberalism pose a real threat to the democratic systems of the countries in the region, or is it just a political trend that will pass without damaging the institutional framework?
We will discuss these and similar questions with our expert guests at our conference.
CULTURAL FIGHT CLUB - OR HOW POLITICS INTERFERES WITH CULTURE
Ideally, culture is free and independent, but by no means apolitical, quite the contrary.
In Hungary, the situation is far from ideal. The freedom of culture is stifled by financial dependence, and those who engage in politics risk their reputation and career. As we approach the parliamentary elections and the stakes rise day by day, those involved in cultural life are becoming increasingly politically active. Some choose a party, while others speak out against division. What is the role of culture in politics? How does politics influence culture? Should artists take on a political role? We will seek answers to these questions in the second panel of the Republikon Institute's October conference.
The event:
-Date: Thursday, October 9, 2025, 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
-Location: Magvető Café, 1074 Budapest, Dohány utca 13.
Planned program
10:00 Opening remarks
-Gábor Horn, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Republikon Foundation
-Lars-André Richter, director of FNF Central Europe
10:05 International panel: Illiberalism in the Visegrad Group
-Andrej Schulcz (SK), Deputy Director at Inštitút Martina Filka, Bratislava
-Andrzej Prendke (PL), Communication and Project Specialist, Economic Freedom Foundation
-Lars-André Richter (D), Director of FNF Central Europe, Prague
-Márton Schlanger (HU), Researcher, Republikon Institute
-Zuzana Stuchlíková (CZ), Research Fellow at EUROPEUM Institute for European Policy, Prague
11:45 Break
12:00 Hungarian panel: Culture Warriors Club – or how politics interferes with culture
-Dopeman, rapper
-Orsolya Karafiáth, writer, poet, translator
-Tamás Pajor, poet, songwriter
-Ádám Schönberger, CEO of Bánkitó Festival and founder of Aurora
-Bálint Szimler, film director
Technical information:
• The event is open to the public. The first panel will be held in English and the second in Hungarian. Simultaneous interpretation will be provided for both panels.
• The event is free of charge. Please indicate your intention to attend using the form below: https://forms.office.com/e/qbxNRXYSvR
• The event will be broadcast live on Republikon's Facebook page, the link to which will also be shared in the Facebook event!
We look forward to seeing everyone interested on Thursday, October 9, at 10 a.m. at Magvető Café!
The event was supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation.