The Ill Liberals and the Illiberals
Weekly briefings on the life of The New European Capital of Conservatism.
Budapest This Week
Do you like Leo Strauss? And are you comfortable admitting this — or would you prefer to hide your power levels, encoding that enjoyment in secret textual signals, like a true Straussian? Whatever your level, there can be no hiding from a conference full of hardcore Straussians, which is what is taking place the MCC Scruton, 16 and 17 October. They're also unveiling of a new journal of Straussian thought, headed by MCC’s own Will Wood: The European Journal of Political Philosophy. Sign up here.
Our resident Brussels expert, Stefano Arroque, will be part of a panel on getting federalism back on track. It’s called The EU We Have vs the EU We Need, and is moderated by our Deputy Director, Gergely Dobozi. This one’s a matinée: 2PM at the Lónyay-Hatvany Villa, on Friday. Register here.
What’s Based
Lecornu Falls. Babiš Rises. Europe looks different this morning. The balance of power is drifting Eastwards. Here’s what you need to know: 1 — Andrej Babiš’s ANO party looks set to lead a coalition in Czechia, alongside the hard-right SPD, and the brand new motorists' rights party, Motorists For Themselves. 2 — With Babiš back, Hungary could soon rely on both Czechia and Robert Fico’s Slovakia as a bulwark against the EU Commission's position on the Ukraine War. 3 — Meanwhile, Sébastien Lecornu is to be the new French Prime Minister. Lecornu was of course, the last French Prime Minister, lasting a single day in office. In an exquisite twist, President Macron has simply reappointed him. The gridlock now seems total. 4 — Macron himself appears to be running out of road. French bond spreads now put it behind Italy. 5 — Now, having just survived two votes of no confidence in the European Parliament, with her usual allies the French otherwise indisposed, Ursula von der Leyen faces meeting the new Hungary-Slovakia-Czechia bloc at the European Council next week.
Other News
Paper of the Week
Is Europe Prepared for the Emerging Illiberal World Order?
How should Europe deal with the coming age of multipolarity? Security policy expert and Bern-based diplomat Gergely Varga argues that the EU needs to rapidly push power back to nation-states if those states are to be nimble enough to catch the wind.
"Coercion will not be restricted to the military domain, but will become a more common feature in politics, the economy, trade and technology as well. "The top priority for Europe must be for individual nations to get their own affairs in order, with the European Union acting as a strategic enabler, covering everything from economic policy to defence and migration."
Eyes & Ears
Comings & Goings
Coming:
David Campanale was originally an Eastern Europe correspondent for the BBC. It was in this guise, between 1989 and '93, that he covered some of the earliest days of Fidesz and the Tusványos festival. David has been in and out of Hungary ever since (he probably holds some kind of record for attending Tusványos).
Now, he has fulfilled his destiny by taking up a six month fellowship with the DI, where he will be writing about his particular vision of Christian Democracy. A delegation of researchers from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences are in town for numerous meetings and exchanges this week. Liu Weidong (刘卫东) leads a delegation from the academy’s Institute of American Studies, and is joined by Shi Peipei (石培培) and Chen Ye (陈晔). Drop us an email if you're interested in saying hi.
City Life
After Art Week, Beer Week, and Fashion Week, it must be Budapest Design Week. Most of its firepower is concentrated at the 360 exhibition, in the centre of the Castle District, but keep an eye out for events across the city, at places like the already excellent Róth Muzeum.
Rod Dreher, style icon, crunchy con, has magic on his feet. He writes: "While not nearly as dapper as Eric Hendriks (really, who could be?), I wish to draw attention to one of my favourite Budapest shops: Vass Shoes, on Haris köz 6, in downtown Pest. "It’s a family-owned maker of hand-crafted shoes for men. Their work is very fine, and while not cheap, their shoes are available for a fraction of the cost of similar quality shoes in London. Because I have hobbit-like feet (short and wide), shopping for shoes has always been difficult for me. "Vass made a 'last' (model of my foot), so everything they make for me fits perfectly. These shoes are so well made that my sons will be fighting over them when I die."
Meanwhile, Hugo Martin, DI Fellow, has magic around his midriff: "I suggest Mr Sale for any aspiring elegant up-and-comer looking to upgrade their wardrobe. As the name suggests, they have sweet discounts, and they’re tucked away in a small Pest street."
We splashed on the William Blake exhibition a few weeks ago. But this week, the Museum of Fine Art is hosting a full-blown Blake evening: poetry, music, pictures. 6-10PM, 15 October. Tickets are 8200 Ft apiece, here. Grab your bow of burning gold and get on down.
Dates For Your Diary
MCC Conference on Leadership — 21 OctoberBattle for the Soul of Europe, Brussels — 3 - 4 DecemberWiener Akademikerball, Vienna — 20 February “Átesett a ló túlsó oldalára."— He fell on the other side of the horse.