4/13/26 - Pusheen + yay Hungary!!!

From this Indivisible newsletter email:

"Pro-democracy forces beat the fascists in Hungary. Viktor Orbán, newly defeated Prime Minister of Hungary, is not just any authoritarian leader. He is the inspiration for today’s Trumpism. 

Kevin Roberts, a lead architect of Project 2025, said “Modern Hungary is not just a model for conservative statecraft, but the model.” Vance once said, “I think Orbán made smart decisions that we could learn from in the US.” Trump himself called Orbán “a very great leader, a very strong man.”

All those quotes come from a terrifyingly prescient October 2024 report by the European Council on Foreign Relations: The Orbanisation of America: Hungary’s lessons for Donald Trump. In short, it details how a second term Trump would likely “adapt many of Orbán’s techniques” to dismantle American democracy as Orbán sought to dismantle Hungarian democracy -- capturing courts, rigging elections, controlling media, crushing civil society.

All kings fall. So all eyes were on Sunday's Hungarian national election. The Trump regime even got Vance off the couch and sent him to campaign for Orbán in Budapest. Leah and I have been in touch with pro-democracy organizers in Hungary who were worried about the tricks Orbán might pull in a close election. Some anti-authoritarian experts feared the worst -- a straight Orbán victory, a messy split government, or outright sabotage or coup by the regime. 

But the Hungarian people had other plans. On the eve of the election, more than 100,000 Hungarians showed up at a pro-democracy megaconcert. It was joyful and powerful and loud -- an urgent display of nonviolent, organized, people power insisting on democracy. 

Then we all held our breath.

Orbán lost. And he didn't just lose -- his regime was electorally crushed with record-breaking turnout. The opposition party won 138 of 199 parliamentary seats. Turnout hit nearly 80% -- a record in post-communist Hungarian history. The opposition now has the supermajority needed to amend their constitution and dismantle Orbán's 16 years of authoritarian consolidation. 

The voters’ message in this election was unambiguous: No kings."

Maaaaaaan I wish we had 80% voter turnout in the US 😍

Wishing y'all love and contentment 💕