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Study: Viktor Orban's Hungary, EU's most 'stable' government

Study: Viktor Orban's Hungary, EU's most 'stable' government

Hungary, where Viktor Orban's Fidesz has been in power uninterrupted since 2010, is the most 'stable' government in the EU, according to a new analysis.

Data compiled by Pantarhei, a Vienna-based management consultancy, ranks Hungary at the top of the 'EU volatility index', followed by Cyprus, Lithuania, Luxembourg and Germany, Euractiv reports .

Spain, Bulgaria and Italy, which have all seen a combination of weak coalitions and regular changes in government in recent years, are ranked as the most unstable in the EU.

The index is mainly based on how many parties are in government and how many changes in administration have occurred during the last two parliamentary mandates.

Orbán's political dominance in Hungary has seen his party win decisive majorities, with two-thirds of parliament in the last four general elections enshrining his illiberal model of democracy.

However, last week the European Parliament passed a resolution saying that Hungary had become a hybrid regime of electoral autocracy and could no longer be considered a full democracy.

Elsewhere, Pantarhei's analysis suggests that governments across the bloc are struggling to survive a full term. “This has resulted in a seemingly permanent state of flux, with parties almost constantly in election mode. And this limits their ability to provide answers to important and pressing political questions," it said.

Pantarhei's analysis argues that increasingly unstable national governments have influenced EU decision-making, making it easier for member states to block proposals but harder for the Council of Ministers to reach common positions, leave the political initiative to the European Commission.

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