Orbanism Outlives Orban

Even when a headline leader loses power, the governing style, networks, and cultural politics they built (nationalist managerialism, rural coalitions, media ecosystems) survive and diffuse across institutions and other parties. Elections can replace individuals without reversing policy direction or the social alignments that produced them. — If true, liberal and centrist actors should shift from focusing only on defeating personalities to degrading durable organizational, media, and policy infrastructures that sustain illiberal movements.