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Debating EU Actions Against Democratic Backsliding in Hungary: Shifting Government and Opposition Frames

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  • Michael Blauberger
  • Arndt Wonka

Abstract

Research on democratic backsliding and on EU counter‐actions is growing rapidly, but we have only begun to understand how EU actions are taken up in domestic political debates in backsliding member states. Our research builds on the assumption that the framing of these debates contributes to the (de‐)legitimation of EU actions and thus has indirect effects on the EU's ability to intervene in processes of democratic backsliding. Conceptually, we distinguish three types of frames political parties use to support or oppose EU actions against democratic backsliding: crisis diagnosis frames, polity frames and value frames. We deduce hypotheses on the framing strategies of government and opposition parties and their evolution over time from theories of democratic backsliding and ethnopopulism. Our analysis relies on an original dataset of about 1400 news articles on democratic backsliding in Hungary (since 2010), including around 1350 frames parties used during domestic debates.

Suggested Citation

  • Michael Blauberger & Arndt Wonka, 2026. "Debating EU Actions Against Democratic Backsliding in Hungary: Shifting Government and Opposition Frames," Journal of Common Market Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 64(2), pages 641-668, March.
    • Handle: RePEc:bla:jcmkts:v:64:y:2026:i:2:p:641-668
    DOI: 10.1111/jcms.13759
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