Long Rule Breeds Democratic Rebound

When competitive authoritarians remain in power too long they create the social and political conditions for a decisive democratic comeback: entrenched rule hardens grievances, exhausts patronage networks, and triggers rotation demands that can unify opposition voters. The Hungarian election and Orbán’s concession illustrate how long tenure, not just repression, can be a structural weakness for illiberal incumbents. — If true, this reframes how analysts and policymakers assess regime resilience—durability is time‑dependent and long incumbencies can be predictive of imminent political reversal.