Thread by @ZgutEdit

💥A quick appetizer 🧵for my new article. #Chinese investments and #democratic #backsliding are mutually reinforcing in #Hungary. To further monopolize #political and #economic #power, the #Orbán govt continues utilising business provided by #Beijing bit.ly/3G4iICo 1/

After the 🇭🇺 MFA declared that it fully respects the “OneChinaPolicy”, the 🇨🇳 @catl_official announced the largest #industrial investment in #Hungary’s history. It stems from the strategy w/ which #Orbán committed himself to a China-friendly policy for pragmatic reasons 2/

The 🇭🇺 govt tilted the playing field w/ #clientelist #corruption. It created additional #informal sources through which #Orbán cemented #political #economic power. Economic ties with 🇨🇳 became an instrument to explore Asian markets/expand business in a #nontransparent way 3/

It's a win-win for both:
✅Projects like #Belgrade-Budapest railway help to enrich Orbán’s clientele by using #procurement-related corruption
✅🇨🇳 is not interested in financial transparency
✅Orbán paves the way for Beijing’s influence,🇭🇺 became its battering ram in the #EU 4/

Relations w/ 🇨🇳 is a defining feature of the regime’s #Eurosceptic #populist identity ➡️ #EU represents the #corrupt #imperialist elite ➡️ China is praised for its economic efficiency. Orbán wants to build a Chinese-style #statecapitalism, leaving #Western parliamentarianism 5/

Praising 🇨🇳 fits Orbán’s #authoritarian remodeling.It strengthens regime’s legitimacy by indicating that 🇭🇺 is a key global player despite tension w/ the 🇪🇺. The new #battery factory helps their image as a “can-do party” that delivers jobs during crises /6 @CasMudde

The Orbán regime is primarily attractive to Beijing because it has #vetopower over #EU positions. 🇭🇺 will remain one of the keenest obstructionists on 🇪🇺 decisions about 🇨🇳. Therefore, a holistic and cross-cutting approach is needed to better address #FDI-related corruption. END

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