It is now fashionable to be right-wing in Europe. Viktor Orbán, Giorgia Meloni and company are already known as the “defenders of national identity” – or as some like to say, the architects of the new authoritarianism. They have not only redrawn the political map of Europe, but also given us a master class in how to centralize power, control the media and restrict the rights of minorities, all in the name of “protecting traditional values”. A super upgrade of democracy “by its own rules”. If anyone still wonders what it means to be ruled by a right-wing party, it is enough to look at Hungary, Italy or Poland. There, democracy is like a rare bird – everyone has caught it, but few have seen it live.

Viktor Orbán, our favorite “child” of authoritarianism, is a true master of the game. Since 2010, he has turned Hungary into his personal plaything. Justice? Controlled. The media? Collected under the wing of the state. The LGBT community? Restricted. And the EU? It is just an “incomprehensible institution” that tries to interfere with his work. Orbán, of course, is not bothered. He knows that he can ignore the reproachful glances from Brussels, while the citizens of Hungary are satisfied with one word: “stability.” Or is it “control”?

But let's briefly look at Italy, where Giorgia, Europe's post-fascist star, took power in 2022. Her mission? To "protect" Italy's borders from migrants and "preserve" traditional values. How? By resettling asylum seekers in Albania (with legal obstacles, of course) and by banning surrogacy, because, you know, homosexual couples shouldn't have children. "Because tradition says so." And if anyone dares to organize an illegal party or damage cultural heritage, Meloni has the solution: tougher penalties. Because, nothing is "democracy" if it's not state control over every aspect of life.

What about Poland? There, the Law and Justice (PiS) party has managed to transform the country into a kind of “traditional utopia.” Justice? Politicized. The media? Under control. The LGBT community? Targeted. And of course, the only real family is the one made up of a man and a woman. If anyone is still wondering what it means to be ruled by a right-wing party, it is enough to look at Hungary, Italy, or Poland. There, democracy is like a rare bird – everyone has caught it, but few have seen it live. Everything else is “unnatural.” Although PiS lost power in 2023, its legacy is still present – ​​like a bad dream that doesn’t want to end.

And as Austria prepares for a possible government led by Herbert Kickl and his Freedom Party (FPO), we can only wonder: What is the next surprise that democracy will have for us? Of course not. Centralization of power? Checked. Control of the media? 100%. Restriction of minority rights? From day one. It seems that right-wing leaders have one common denominator – how to destroy or – “improve” (depending on the vision) democracy in 10 easy steps.

And so, the future of Europe is in our hands. History does not repeat itself, our mistakes do. Will we allow these "defenders of tradition" to turn the continent into a mosaic of authoritarian regimes? Or will we realize that democracy is not just a word, but a value that needs to be cherished?
One thing is certain, if we continue down this path, the European project will look like a ruined castle – beautiful in photographs, but uninhabitable.

(The author is a journalist)

THE LANGUAGE IN WHICH THEY ARE WRITTEN, AS WELL AS THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THE COLUMNS, DO NOT ALWAYS REFLECT THE EDITORIAL POLICY OF "FREE PRESS"