Swaan van Iterson studied social and political sciences at the University of Amsterdam. She wrote her thesis on the identification of highly educated students in Hungary with the radical right Jobbik party. Most narratives paint a picture of a faceless crowd of ‘societal losers' who vote for the radical right. However, her research demonstrates that this image is not representative and fails to grasp the active mentality of these students. By elaborating on the Hungarian context, the research helps to clarify key differences between radical-right movements and ideologies in Western and Eastern Europe.
Swaan made the documentary All for Hungary on the same topic and regularly writes for various media about socio-political developments in Hungary.
Articles:
De Europese Unie en de ‘Viktator' van Hongarije
Hungary's forgotten generation
