Presentation short abstract

The paper discusses the construction of a parallel environmentalism under the era of (semi-)authoriatarianism in Hungary, through examining its think tank on climate policy, the primary aim of which is to align with the government's national(ist) rhetorics and political interests.

Presentation long abstract

Environmentalism has not been a priority issue in Hungary under the Christian-conservative Fidesz government after 2010, often described as an authoritarian (Antal 2019; Rupnik 2022) or penal populist turn (Boda 2022). Legislative and institutional changes have significantly curtailed the involvement of civil society and environmental experts in decision-making and policy (Gerő et al. 2023). Alongside hostile rhetoric toward civil society, the government dismantled key institutions such as the independent Ministry of Environment and the Ombudsman for Future Generations, while discontinuing support for alternative energy initiatives.

While weakening traditional environmental governance, the government has sought to construct its own, parallel environmentalism. This includes establishing politically loyal, or at least non-confrontational organizations and creating a climate policy think tank—the MCC Climate Policy Institute. At this institute, political loyalty and pragmatic ideology prevail over professionalism; research processes lack transparency, and the influence of its work on government climate policy remains unclear.

This paper examines the government’s strategy of building a parallel environmentalism through an analysis of the Climate Policy Institute, its knowledge production, and the values it promotes—where Hungarian national(ist) interests consistently take precedence. The central question is: How does a (semi-)authoritarian state construct environmental narratives that address climate and sustainability while aligning with governmental and political interests? The study draws on discourse and document analysis conducted between 2023 and 2025.