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Takeaways from the Annual Conference of the Hungarian Sociological Association

24 Oct 2025

INTERFACED and ProTest Horizon projects held a joint roundtable discussion entitled “Unpacking de-democratization. A global tendency with local variations” at the annual conference of the Hungarian Sociological Association.

The panel was organised by Szabina Kerényi (INTERFACED) and Attila Melegh (ProTest) joined by the following speakers:

  • Felipe G. Santos City St. George’s University, London (INTERFACED)
  • Henry Rammelt, National University of Political Studies and Public Administration, Romania (ProTest)
  • Valeria Resta, Dublin City University (INTERFACED)
  • Réka Várnagy, Institute of Social and Political Sciences, Corvinus University of Budapest (ProTest)

The roundtable explored the global patterns, economic roots, and social consequences of dedemocratisation processes. The discussion highlighted that de-democratisation is a global phenomenon, in which transnational networks and northern-dominated financial institutions play a significant role with policies that often weaken democratic structures. Participants also noted the economic roots of democratic decline — austerity policies since 2008, the rise of global capital, and the tension between capitalism’s need for control and democracy’s need for consensus.
Discussants stressed that authoritarian leaders increasingly learn from one another, using elections, disinformation, and polarization to maintain power. Accountability has eroded even as democratic institutions formally persist and while citizens remain key defenders of democracy, many paradoxically support leaders who erode it. Reviving democracy, the speakers argued, requires rebuilding communities, strengthening accountability, and embracing active, collective citizenship.


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