Based on the success of previous years, Budapest Forum will return in 2026. The Municipality of Budapest, Political Capital Institute, and the CEU Democracy Institute will organize a one-day conference, taking place on October 1, 2026, to address the most pressing challenges faced by citizens in democratic and nominally democratic countries. Under the theme of “Building Sustainable Democracies”, the Forum will explore and evaluate policy proposals aimed at strengthening democratic resilience.
Since the 2010’s, liberal democracy has faced a profound crisis. Political parties, democratic institutions, and international organizations that emerged in the stable post-war order have struggled to respond to the complex challenges of the twenty-first century. Economic insecurity, geopolitical instability, migration, technological transformation, and growing social polarization have fueled support for anti-establishment and authoritarian political forces, while making collective action increasingly difficult at both the national and international levels.
In recent years, however, a new political dynamic has emerged. In countries such as Brazil, Poland, and, most recently, Hungary, illiberal governments have been defeated through democratic elections. These developments suggest that illiberalism is neither politically invincible nor capable of providing lasting answers to the structural challenges confronting contemporary societies. Despite concentrating power, controlling institutions, and mobilizing powerful political narratives, illiberal governments have ultimately struggled to deliver sustainable solutions.
Yet electoral victory marks only the beginning of a far more demanding process. Societies emerging from prolonged illiberal rule must rebuild democratic institutions, restore trust, strengthen the rule of law, renew political competition, and develop a new social contract. There are few established models for democratic renewal after illiberalism, and the current international environment offers limited political or intellectual guidance.
Against this backdrop, the Budapest Forum 2026 will examine the opportunities and dilemmas of governing after illiberalism. Using Hungary as its point of departure while placing it within a broader European and global context, the conference will explore how democracies can renew themselves after prolonged democratic erosion.