The politics of national sovereignty in Hungary vs. EU Membership in Hungary

Abstract

The paper takes a critical look at the National Consultation process in 2017 in Hungary to
analyse the ongoing conflict between Budapest and Brussel. The Hungarian Government has
been hostile to various EU policies arguing that they violate the sovereignty of Hungary. This
paper seeks to refute this argument by showing that Hungary has the sovereignty to withdraw
from the agreements, the obligations of which it refuses to honour. Rather, the Government is
engaging in the politics of sovereignty, i.e. creating a sovereignty dispute in order to secure
short-term political objectives, such as political survival. This dangerous trend can be observed
in the populist politics of an increasing number of states, including the United Kingdom and
the United States, and it presents a tangible threat to any order based on international law. The
regimes in question use the politics of sovereignty in order to renege on their international
obligations.