“sizable voting diaspora that doesn’t live with the consequences of policy but can be swayed cost-free by performing nationalism” is also an advantage in itself

"Can weaponize the nationalist resentments of a significant voting bloc without having to deal with any of the consequences of boiling-over nationalist resentment because the resentful nationalists are in another country."

Yeah Fidesz spearheaded granting voting rights to ethnic Hungarians abroad, who vote for them. Also don’t forget voter tourism - voters can register in any district, regardless of residence, disproportionately benefits Fidesz who meticulously organize this.

but also. Didn't/doesn't Orban offer "treats" to the herrenvolk or whatever the fuck the Hungarian term would be, you know, the rustic base? Too?

hey so Hungary has a right of return for people w/Hungarian ancestry I think? Can those people vote in Hungarian elections, too?

though actually if that were true nationally *here?* off the top total mess but I think it probably boils down to Republicans never win dogcatcher ever again.

I am sorry, they can what

but btw this is why I'm a bit 😬 whenever I see people say, god, the Constitution's so outdated and flawed (in many ways, definitely); too bad it isn't much easier to amend. soooo that can go either way it turns out...

makes gerrymandering look amateurish doesn't it

In 2021 Fidesz made it legal to register at an address you don’t live at. This allows diaspora Hungarians to vote for specific candidates, among other things

Lowered mandatory retirement age for jurists (which we don’t even have), forcing out hundreds of judges that Orban replaced with pliant stooges (far beyond what Trump could possibly do)

yeah, see, and people *want* mandatory retirement ages for federal judges (and now Congress, at least half seriously) here and: again, maybe be careful what you wish for. I DO think we need more accountability for lifetime appointment judges. maybe they're just not lifetime appointments. 10 years

BTW the voter tourism thing was specifically pushed through by Fidesz in ‘22 because even their hilariously extreme gerrymandering was looking shaky.