Intersections. East European Journal of Society and Politics

Authoritarian liberalism, ordoliberalism, and the contradictions of European political development

Maxim Popov — 2026-02-03

The term ‘authoritarian liberalism’ covers two crisis-related symptoms of the constitutional and political development of Europe. In the EU and especially in the Eurozone, there is an authoritarian aspect of governance, represented by the binary process of de-democratization and de-legalization, which is related to ignoring parliamentary powers and parliamentary debates, as well as violating the guarantees of the rule of law and protection of social rights. Authoritarian liberalism strives for the rational management of free markets. Institutionally, this is manifested in the constitutional consolidation of economic freedoms and the transfer of control over economic activities to expert bodies and the executive branch of the EU. If authoritarian liberalism focuses on market rationality and economic liberalism, then authoritarian ways of implementing policies are subordinated to the interests of private property, thereby contributing to the further “authoritarian transformation” of the European Union. Thus, the eurocrisis is being transformed into a legitimation crisis and a clash of main political goals: ordoliberalism, market capitalism, European integration, and democratic self-government.

On the nexūs between populism and geopolitical rhetorics:

Aliaksei Kazharski — 2026-02-03

The article argues that the repeated use of geopolitical rhetoric by populist actors of various breeds is directly connected to the structural and conceptual affinities through which populism and geopolitics present themselves as discourses, thereby demonstrating a shared grammar of self-presentation. It relies on the available evidence from the Visegrád Four countries in order to survey identitary and technocratic populisms and the multiple ways in which they co-opt geopolitical reasoning. While the discussion of the V4 is based on previously published research, the study also zooms in on the post-2023 developments in Slovakia to present a new perspective. Examining the case of the most recent (as of 2025) democratic backsliding tendencies in the region, the paper demonstrates how local identitary populism has become (re)connected to a historically rooted ‘civilizational’ geopolitics of pan-Slavism.

Measuring populist style in visual communication:

Xénia Farkas — 2026-02-03

This paper contributes to the literature on the style of populists by focusing on the visual and textual elements of Viktor Orbán’s Facebook communication. Orbán is one of the most prominent figures associated with contemporary populism, and his 14 consecutive years in power make him a unique case for the study of the bimodal populist style. To this end, all his image-based posts (N = 492) were collected over a three-year period (2018-2020), covering campaigns, the COVID-19 crisis, and slow news (‘cucumber’) periods. The results of the quantitative visual and verbal content analyses reveal the primacy of visual content in transmitting populist signals, suggesting that Orbán’s relationship with ‘the elite’ is predominantly positive, contrary to expectations about negative populist communication about elites. Although the results indicate only moderate differences in the use of populist style elements across the three time periods, the findings suggest that visual elements are used in populist communication to convey different messages than textual ones.

Gender perspectives on research impact:

Karolina Lendák-Kabók — 2026-02-03

The increasing emphasis on research impact in academia necessitates a deeper understanding of how early career researchers (ECRs) perceive and engage with this concept, especially through the lens of gender. This study aims to explore the gendered dimensions of research impact among ECRs in the social sciences. We conducted a comprehensive survey across over thirty countries in Europe, as well as South Africa. The methodology involved thematic analysis of survey responses, focusing on differences in attitudes towards impact, the challenges faced, and the role of gender in shaping these perceptions. Our findings reveal that while there are no significant gender differences in the conceptualization of research impact, female ECRs experience greater vulnerability due to systemic inequities in academia. These disparities affect their career trajectories and ability to generate impact. This study highlights the need for tailored support structures to address these gender-specific challenges and calls for further empirical research to validate and expand upon these initial findings.

Fuel poverty, uncontrollable heating expenditure, and the consequences of heat cost allocation in a large housing estate of Budapest

Bálint Zoltán Tóth — 2026-02-03

Recent initiatives in the European Union aimed at reducing energy consumption in multifamily buildings have centred on implementing heat cost allocation, which facilitates charging for heating services based on consumption. Prior experiences demonstrate that heat cost allocation efficiently decreases energy use by providing prompt feedback regarding energy usage and expense. Nonetheless, its influence on fuel poverty, energy vulnerability, and heating affordability is still inadequately comprehended. The study involved implementing personal surveys and interviews with residents of large housing estates in Budapest to investigate their experiences and coping strategies related to heating expenses, comfort, and ability to influence these aspects. It also analysed how the presence or lack of consumption-based heating service billing influences various factors, including fuel poverty. The findings indicate that heat cost allocation considerably affects energy vulnerability and fuel poverty. In buildings lacking heat cost allocation, resident agency is constrained by fixed heating expenses and the heterogeneity of the residential community, resulting in postponed purchases of essential goods and heightened energy waste. While heat cost allocation reduces consumption and improves financial flexibility, its impact on fuel poverty is ambiguous, as it does not address the broader socioeconomic and energy-efficiency determinants of energy vulnerability and fuel poverty.

The beginning of Fordian economic organization in East German and Hungarian rural societies before 1945, with special regard to de-peasantization

János Fritz — 2026-02-03

This comparative historical study examines the early stages of “de-peasantization” in East German and Hungarian rural societies prior to World War II. The analysis focuses on two regions that can subsequently be classified as transitional zones within the “Green Ring,” a belt encompassing the agricultural periphery of the continent. The question is to what extent the gradual disappearance of the peasantry was related to the two key economic paradigms of the 20th century: first, Fordism, and later the “Green Revolution”? As a theoretical framework, this study applies Reinhart Koselleck’s model, which examines a specific historical moment in the context of both past and future. Accordingly, with regard to the peasantry of the 1930s, it is necessary to examine the degree to which the “space of experience” and the “horizon of expectation” were in alignment at the time. To what extent did their synthesis anticipate subsequent trends? Furthermore, how did the German and Hungarian trajectories differ in terms of technocratic solutions in the 1930s?

The world of work in Hungarian television:

Andrea Nyéki — 2026-02-03

The main role of the media is to be an information source – such as a window on the world – which forms people’s knowledge, values and attitudes. Several studies have shown that the impact of television during socialisation is unquestionable, and it continues to shape people’s perceptions later on too. If the portrayal of the labour force on television is distorted, it can not only distort in the audience’s image of the world but also alter their perceptions of their own lives and make them dissatisfied with their own social status. A great amount of foreign research has been conducted on this topic, but no such research has yet been done in Hungary. The current study examines how Hungarian fiction series portray the world of work by quantitative content analysis of all series of which the premiere was broadcast between 2015 and 2019 in the prime-time slot and gave sufficient opportunity for discovering portrayals of occupational roles. The results show that the world presented on television is more masculine and glamorous, with certain occupations significantly overrepresented, while some other occupations are neglected compared to the real world. The portrayal of characters also shows a distorted picture of society in the television world.

Book Review:

Szilárd János Tóth — 2026-02-03

Book Review:

Márton Zsuráfszky — 2026-02-03

The world in 2025 from a Weberian - Polanyian perspective:

Iván Szelényi — 2026-02-03