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Communist Populism in Hungary

Author

Listed:
  • Attila Antal

    (Institute of Political Science, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
    Social Theory Research Group, Institute of Political History, Budapest, Hungary)

Abstract

According to Cas Mudde, we live in a “populist Zeitgeist”. The paper argues that not just the 21st, but also the 20th century is about populism. In the first section I elaborate the theoretical background of populism, which is claimed to be a never-ending phenomenon: here, various notions of populism are analysed; I investigate the relationship between democracy and populism; and I refer to the biopolitical framework of populism (called biopopulism) as well. This theoretical framework will be used to analyse Communist populism in Hungary. I elaborate the populism of the Horthyera (1920-1944) in the context of Communist populism. Then I analyse the case of Communist populism in Hungary (1948-1989) according to the following aspects: in the context of the working class and the bourgeois elite; the biopolitical character of the regime; goulash Communism as populist legitimacy; and the viewpoint of socialist patriotism. The main aspect of Communist populism is summarized at the end of the third section, and I briefly refer to the afterlife of Communist populism as a nostalgic phenomenon. The regimes analysed in this study aimed to govern the entire life of the citizens, which is why biopopulism is a useful analytical concept. The biopopulist framework shows that the investigation of the historical backgrounds of populism is necessary to understand contemporary populist tendencies.

Suggested Citation

  • Attila Antal, 2018. "Communist Populism in Hungary," Society and Economy, Akadémiai Kiadó, Hungary, vol. 40(4), pages 623-642, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:aka:soceco:v:40:y:2018:i:4:p:623-642
    Note: This study is a written and modified version of a lecture held at the Populism in Central and Eastern Europe in the 20th Century Workshop 11-12 May 2017 in Paris.
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    File URL: http://www.akademiai.com/doi/pdf/10.1556/204.2018.40.4.9
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    populism; Communism; biopolitics; Hungary;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • P29 - Political Economy and Comparative Economic Systems - - Socialist and Transition Economies - - - Other
    • Z00 - Other Special Topics - - General - - - General
    • Z19 - Other Special Topics - - Cultural Economics - - - Other

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