Christopher F. Rufo is one of this era's leading young conservatives. He recently spent 6 weeks in Hungary, and reports via Substack at some length on what he learned about the Orban government there.
See his summary:
I suspect that the real reason many left-liberals hate Hungary with such fervor is that its government has adopted their premise that the state has an abiding interest in managing and shaping society and used it to pursue goals opposed to theirs. To the consternation of many on the left and the right, Hungary is using progressive means to achieve conservative ends.
Orban and his policies are popular with the Hungarian people. I was there in the late spring and saw exactly zero police or military activity. The feeling I got was one of normality, of people comfortably being Hungarian.
