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The dictator of ressentiment: the everyday life of János Kádár

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  • György Majtényi

Abstract

This article examines the private and semi-public life of János Kádár, General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party (1956–1988), as a site where political legitimacy was cultivated through everyday practices. Drawing on archival records, memoirs, and visual materials, it analyses how Kádár’s personal habits, leisure activities, and spatial environments were consciously shaped to project an image of modesty, discipline, and endurance. The study situates Kádár’s self-fashioning within the broader symbolic politics of state socialism, showing how gestures of restraint and selective privilege reinforced affective ties between ruler and ruled, even amidst structural inequality. By interpreting these practices through the lens of ressentiment theory, the article demonstrates how personal conduct functioned as an instrument of power and a micro-foundation of authoritarian resilience.

Suggested Citation

  • György Majtényi, 2026. "The dictator of ressentiment: the everyday life of János Kádár," Journal of Contemporary Central and Eastern Europe, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 34(2), pages 381-401, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:cdebxx:v:34:y:2026:i:2:p:381-401
    DOI: 10.1080/25739638.2026.2650673
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