Retreat of Liberal Democracy

Gabor Scheiring is a Marie Curie Fellow at Bocconi University, Milan. His research focuses on the political economy of health, the human price of globalisation and the role of class in illiberalism. He served as a member of the Hungarian Parliament between 2010–2014.

“The book provides a fresh and thought-provoking political-economic theory of the newly emerged autocracy in Hungary. … I highly recommend reading this book, because The Retreat of Liberal Democracy offers a compelling theory of authoritarian capitalism in Hungary. This work will be an important reference for future debates on the recent trend of democratic backsliding in the world.” (David Jancsics, American Journal of Sociology, Vol. 128 (1), July, 2022)“A carefully crafted narrative that expertly highlights the interplay between domestic politics and the dynamics of dependent development in the context of the contemporary global economy. Although this book focuses specifically on the case of Hungary, Scheiring’s account will be of general interest to scholars studying topics related to the recent surge in right-wing politics across the globe.” (Adam Slez, Social Forces, August 9, 2021)

• 1. Introduction.- 2. The Political Economy of Illiberalism.- 3. The Competition State.- 4. International Integration, Domestic Disintegration.- 5. Workers and Neo-Nationalism.- 6. National Bourgeoisie and Economic Nationalism.- 7. The Accumulative State.- 8. Conclusions