Political Power in the Digital Shadows: The Surveillance State and Far-Right Party Strength in Central and Eastern Europe

Authors

• Abby K. Finley, Macalester CollegeFollow

Document Type

Honors Project

Abstract

The recent rise of far-right leaders, from Donald Trump challenging democratic institutions in the United States to Viktor Orbán's fifteen-year autocratic reign in Hungary, has led me to my main research question: Why are some far-right parties stronger than others? Conducting process tracing analysis of Hungarian, Polish, Slovak, and Czech far-right politics from 2005 to 2025, I argue that far-right parties are stronger when they utilize the surveillance state to limit democratic institutions and actors. My findings clarify how far-right parties use the surveillance state and other tactics to maintain power within their nation.

Recommended Citation

Finley, Abby K., "Political Power in the Digital Shadows: The Surveillance State and Far-Right Party Strength in Central and Eastern Europe" (2026). Political Science Honors Projects. 113.
https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/poli_honors/113