An irony of Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power in Hungary is that his Fidesz movement was originally founded by pro-democracy, change-seeking young voters, even initially requiring members to be below the age of 35.
Now, in a crossroads election on 12 April, a new generation of Hungarians may be on the cusp of removing the rightwing populist prime minister, much to the dismay of his admirers in Moscow, Washington and Europe’s populist movements.
Orbán may have once described Hungary as “a petri dish for illiberalism” – as reflected by Harry Haysom’s cover art for us this week – but polls suggest his opponent Péter Magyar, a former top member of Fidesz who favours a closer relationship with the EU, could be the new change agent.
Is Orbán really about to be ousted? Ashifa Kassam, Flora Garamvolgyi and Jon Henley set the stage for our big story this week. Ominously, as Ashifa explores in a fascinating piece, both Russia and the US – for somewhat different reasons – have been busily trying to bolster Orbán’s chances behind the scenes.
What is clear is that much is at stake for some very powerful individuals. With allegations of “false-flag” plots prompting political scrutiny in Hungary this week, this is one election saga where a late plot twist would not come as a surprise.
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Five essential reads in this week’s edition
Spotlight | Was Trump conned by Netanyahu’s promise of an easy war?
Senior US officials now consider the Israel PM’s pitch to have been overblown, creating potentially far-reaching consequences for both countries, writes Peter Beaumont
Science | The 21st-century moon prospectors
Helium-3 is so rare that a palm-sized amount could be worth millions. As Artemis II flies by the moon and businesses look to the skies, is mining Earth’s satellite ethical? Oliver Holmes investigates
Feature | Can the UK’s cargo theft crisis be stopped?
It costs the UK economy £700m ($920m) a year, and criminal gangs are operating with near impunity. Every time a lorry gets robbed, raided or hijacked, it’s Mike Dawber who investigates. By Stuart McGurk
Opinion | Ten years after Brexit, Trump is pushing Britain back towards the EU
It’s the silver lining from this terrible age of Donald Trump, argues Gaby Hinsliff: his disdain and insults are fuelling the belief that the UK should renew ties with Europe
Culture | James McAvoy, from a Glasgow council estate to Hollywood stardom
In his directorial debut, the X-Men actor is challenging stereotypes about his Scottish homeland via the remarkable tale of a real-life hip-hop hoax. Libby Brooks met him
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What else we’ve been reading
• As someone with recent experience of Britain’s care home system, I was given pause for thought by this well-informed and coherently argued opinion piece by Hettie O’Brien about the private equity takeover of the places we live, work, grow old, and eventually die. Graham Snowdon, editor
• The pet I’ll never forget series is a trove of poignant, quirky and often funny stories, but this week’s – about Beau the labrador – could be straight out of an episode of Lassie. Owner David Howarth writes about how he took on Beau as part of a fresh start after the death of his wife, and the mischievous puppy grew into a life saver. Clare Horton, assistant editor
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Other highlights from the Guardian website
• Video | Meet Tashi, the miniature poodle helping children gain the confidence to read aloud
• Audio | Sauna and cold plunge: where does the evidence stand? – Science Weekly podcast
• Gallery | Gangnam styles: South Korea’s brutalist gems
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