Analysis
Democratic Security
The MAGA Safe House for Polish Fugitives
13 May 2026
Keep the exit door open – and to his critics, don’t let it hit you on the way out. For Viktor Orbán, the European Union’s principle of free movement isn’t just a perk; it’s a pressure valve. It quietly funnels dissenters out of Hungary, thinning the ranks of those who might challenge his grip on power. But imagine, for a moment, if that door had been slammed shut.
In January 2024, Erika Schlager, a leading expert in international law and, before retiring, a key figure in the US Helsinki Commission, delivered a powerful speech at Georgetown University’s Ion Ratiu Lecture. Renowned for her advocacy in human rights, democracy, Romani rights and combating anti-Semitism, Schlager used the lecture to examine Europe’s democratic decline.
Focusing on Hungary’s Viktor Orbán as a case study, she highlighted how his model of power consolidation extends beyond Budapest, shaping political strategies in Poland and Slovakia through figures like Jarosław Kaczyński and Robert Fico. Below is the transcript of her remarks.
The fragile foundation of European democracy
It is a pleasure to speak at this year’s Ion Ratiu lecture, named in honour of a man who dedicated his life to the ideal of a democratic Romania. If I may presume to have something in common with him, it is that I never turn down an opportunity to speak about democracy.
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