Democracy Index of Hungary 2006-2023
The democracy index of Hungary decreased steadily from 2006 to 2021. However, the index increased slightly over the following years, reaching 6.72 points in 2023- The ruling party Fidesz has been in government since 2010, partly with an absolute majority in parliament. During this period, the space has been shrinking for civil society and independent media in the country. Nevertheless, with an index score of 6.64, Hungary still ranks higher than several other countries around the world. Countries are given a score from 0 to 10 with scores closer to 10 meaning the country is more democratic.
The position of the ruling party
In 2022, when asked about their political party preferences, over 40 percent of Hungarians would vote for Fidesz, if the elections were held the upcoming Sunday. About 25 percent of respondents would vote for the Opposition Alliance, and other parties would hold about 10 percent of the votes. Therefore, the ruling party still enjoys wide popularity among the population. The main reasons among Fidesz-voters are financial worries, the avoidance of war, and habit, according to the respondents of a survey.
Global Expression Report
Among other Central and Eastern European countries in 2022, Hungary scored among the five lowest-rated countries in the Global Expression Report. The report tracks freedom of expression across the world, on a scale of one to 100. Estonia, Latvia, and Czechia appeared at the top, with scores ranging from 87 to 92 percent.
