IRMO Brief 03/2018, "Hungary before the elections: assessing foreign policy achievements"

Introduction

‍The foreign policy of Hungary has been extensively covered in various press outlets ever since the second government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán took power in 2010. Regardless of international criticism, foreign policy was instrumental in getting the Hungarian economy back on its feet after the 2009 collapse by expanding trade ties and attracting new foreign investments to provide jobs for hundreds of thousands of Hungarians. The ‘Hungary First’ approach naturally provoked criticism, especially as some major foreign companies’ interests were hurt in the reorganization of the Hungarian economy, and sweeping legislative changes were tearing apart old networks, business lobbies and interest groups.

‍