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1) Péter Magyar’s failed attempt to install Judit Polgár as Hungary’s next president is more than an embarrassing communication error. It raises the central question of Hungary’s post-Orbán transition: how do you remove captured institutions without normalizing the same unchecked power?

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7/ Hungary needs institutional repair. It also needs safeguards against the next government using the same tools against its opponents. The test for the post-Orbán order is whether it can replace captured institutions through transparent, durable rules rather than political expediency.

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6/ The latest Medián poll is a warning, not a reversal: TISZA remains far ahead, but the rapid handling of the presidency has met clear public unease. The political cost is not simply one failed nomination. It is the risk of weakening trust in the transition itself.

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5/ The Polgár episode brought that tension into view. A respected, non-partisan figure was presented as a solution to a vacancy created through exceptional constitutional power. When she declined, it looked less like a planned renewal process than an improvised one.

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4/ Sulyok was an Orbán-era president, and TISZA has a real democratic case for dismantling political control built over sixteen years. But constitutional democracy cannot rest only on who holds office. It also depends on rules that do not become disposable when a new majority arrives.

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3/ That matters because the presidency had just been made vacant through the 17th constitutional amendment. Parliament ended Tamás Sulyok’s term immediately, citing a serious loss of public confidence. Sulyok signed the measure, saying he had no legal means to block it.

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2/ The issue is not that Polgár would have been an unworthy president. Her standing outside party politics was precisely the appeal. The problem was the process: Magyar publicly floated a candidate before the consultation his government had promised had meaningfully begun.

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Reposted by Peter ZB

V-Dem data shows #Hungary and #Poland both experienced sharp declines in electoral democracy after populist governments came to power. #DataViz #Democracy #Hungary #EuropeanPolitics

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5) Data: V-Dem v16. Electoral Democracy Index. Chart made in R. #Hungary #Democracy #DataViz

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4) Magyar says that with a 2/3 majority, Sulyok will be forced to step down, but Orban will be hoping that Sulyok holds on for as long as possible, as it will complicate Magyar's ability to pass reforms.

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3) The question now is whether Hungary will see a similar democratic rebound under Péter Magyar. Early signs are promising, but the first real test for the new PM has come in the form of Tamás Sulyok, the Orbán-appointed president, who is refusing to resign.

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2) Poland’s score has begun to recover following Donald Tusk’s return to office after the 2023 election, while Hungary continued to fall under Viktor Orbán.

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Peter ZB @solotraveller.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

V-Dem data shows #Hungary and #Poland both experienced sharp declines in electoral democracy after populist governments came to power. #DataViz #Democracy #Hungary #EuropeanPolitics

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Reposted by Peter ZB

A 12-year-old girl was killed in Kyiv last night during a massive missile strike involving 700 drones and 19 ballistic missiles by Russian forces following the #Hungarian prime minister, #PeterMagyar, stating that he will not continue Orban's policy of vetoing #EUfunds to Ukraine.

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Peter ZB @solotraveller.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

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“Hungary’s peace and security today may depend on a single vote; if we miss it, the threat of war could face us, and if we get it wrong, the financial security of Hungarian families will be put at risk," wrote #ViktorOrban on Facebook as the #HungarianElection turnout continues to break records

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A record-breaking turnout for sure!

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In this image, Zoltán Demeter, one of the ruling party's Fidesz–KDNP candidates, is allegedly handing an envelope to a voter on election day in #Hungary. The image added to concerns surrounding the fairness of what is expected to be #ViktorOrban's toughest election yet.

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I just cast my vote in a small village in the east of Hungary, and many people who previously voted #FIDESZ said they would be casting their vote in favor of the opposition. That being said, #Orban still has plenty of support, especially in the poorer parts of the countryside.

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Turn out looking good. Great work to everyone who made the effort to get out there to vote. Arad a Tisza!

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Turnout is now expected to be far higher than the record-breaking 2002 election, which could, according to many analysts, favor the opposition party over the governing #FIDESZ party.

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Peter ZB @solotraveller.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

The #HungarianElection turnout reached 66% at 15.00, over 10% higher than in 2002, which saw the highest overall turnout since the fall of communism. Many analysts expect this to favor the leading opposition party #Tisza over #ViktorOrban's FIDESZ party.

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“The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” - Marcel Proust Pucon, Chile #Chile #Forest #Hiking

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Reposted by Peter ZB

From Hope to Uncertainty: Venezuelans in Far-Right Chile

4) I spent a week in Santiago talking to members of the Venezuelan community, politicians, and charities to get a better understanding of how Kast's rhetoric and policies are impacting the lives of Venezuelans in Chile. Read about it here: nacla.org/from-hope-to...

nacla.org

In January, Venezuelans in Chile briefly celebrated the fall of Maduro, but many now fear a harsher climate for migrants as the country shifts to the right.

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From Hope to Uncertainty: Venezuelans in Far-Right Chile

nacla.org

In January, Venezuelans in Chile briefly celebrated the fall of Maduro, but many now fear a harsher climate for migrants as the country shifts to the right.

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3) While the policies of stricter migration laws were part of the reason #Kast was elected with a considerable majority, the impact of these measures on migrants already living in Chile is often overlooked.

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2) Since taking office, Kast has begun construction of a barrier along the northern border, often used by #migrants crossing illegally into #Chile via #Peru and #Bolivia.

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NACLA Report @nacla-report.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

1) President Jose Antonio Kast says #Chile has taken a hardline approach to immigration since taking office in Chile, with a particular focus on the #Venezuelan community.

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Reposted by Peter ZB

In January, Venezuelans in Chile briefly celebrated the fall of Nicolás Maduro, but many now fear a harsher climate for migrants as the country shifts to the right. Read the story by @solotraveller.bsky.social on nacla.org nacla.org/from-hope-to...

nacla.org

From Hope to Uncertainty: Venezuelans in Far-Right Chile

In January, Venezuelans in Chile briefly celebrated the fall of Maduro, but many now fear a harsher climate for migrants as the country shifts to the right.

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Peter ZB @solotraveller.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

“This creed of the desert seemed inexpressible in words, and indeed in thought.” -T. E. Lawrence Santiago, Chile #SoloTravel #Travel #TravelChile

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Reposted by Peter ZB

15 years on, Tunisia's Arab Spring doesn't seem to have led to much of a Summer. Peter Barker reports from a troubled land.

"As I took a long sip of tea, Khalili turned to me and said, “I’m going to fly to Montenegro, and from there, I will walk to Europe.” He added, “There’s nothing for us here [for young people]. No jobs. No money. No future.”" www.travelmag.co.uk/2025/04/tuni... #Tunisia #NorthAfrica

travelmag.co.uk

Travel Tips & Fun Ideas

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Reposted by Peter ZB

“All you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation.” - Paulo Coelho Santiago, Chile #Chile #TravelChile

“All you have to do is contemplate a simple grain of sand, and you will see in it all the marvels of creation.” - Paulo Coelho Santiago, Chile #Chile #TravelChile

15 years on, Tunisia's Arab Spring doesn't seem to have led to much of a Summer. Peter Barker reports from a troubled land.

travelmag.co.uk

Travel Tips & Fun Ideas

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Reposted by Peter ZB

Bill Grueskin @bgrueskin.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

A publisher who lays off a reporter whose pen is freezing because she's covering a frigid war zone while dodging missiles is not an editor you want to work for, in a more perfect world

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lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
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Aug 19, 2021
Almost three years ago, my editor called me early one November morning. A wildfire had sparked near a town called Paradise, he said. Could I go? (1/13)
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lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
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47m
I was just laid off by The Washington Post in the middle of a warzone. I have no words. I'm devastated.
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lizzie johnson
@lizziejohnsonnn
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Jan 25
Waking up without power, heat, or running water. (Again.)

But the work here in Kyiv continues. Warming up in the car, writing in pencil — pen ink freezes — by headlamp.

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Reposted by Peter ZB

Peter ZB @solotraveller.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

"Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have travelled.” Barcelona, Spain #Barcelona #SagradaFamilia #Views #Catalunya

Peter ZB @solotraveller.bsky.social · 04/02/2026

"Don’t tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you have travelled.” Barcelona, Spain #Barcelona #SagradaFamilia #Views #Catalunya