The Mechanics of Change: Hungary 1989 v. 2026 (May 14, 2026)
The following is an interview with former Member of Parliament (MP), Gabor Roszik, a Lutheran pastor who made history in July 1989 as Hungary’s first freely elected opposition Member of Parliament. Source: Közügy #13 – Gábor Roszik, the first freely elected MP on regime changes.
According to the source, the interview captures a politically and historically charged dialogue with MP Gábor Roszik. The interview conversation with MP Roszik reflects the recent sweeping electoral defeat of Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party by Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party (contextualized in the transcript as having occurred in April 2026), MP Roszik draws a direct, systemic parallel between the collapse of the 20th-century Communist apparatus and the dismantling of the modern illiberal state.
The interview was conducted in May 2026. MP Roszik continues to serve as a Lutheran pastor and serves on the board of directors at Prison Fellowship-Hungary. RJI President Lisa Rea first met MP Roszik in 1999 in Washington, D.C. at a Prison Fellowship International conference.
Translation of the audio interview (AI):
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gRVU92B6QxNjN7hg2LzzfM63eaWreSHbes3YHWOzHE0/edit?usp=sharing
Original Youtube interview:
Thanks to Martin Howard for his assistance with this news post.