AS HUNGARY’s OPPOSITION leader, Peter Magyar, campaigns to end the 16-year reign of Viktor Orban at elections on April 12th, he has chosen a slogan with a double edge.

“Now or Never” conveys the urgency felt by Hungarians who sense a best-ever chance of defeating Mr Orban.

That “or Never” hints at a grimmer thought, though—that this might be a last opportunity to stop Mr Orban from establishing rule-for-life.

A pedlar of nationalist conspiracies, Mr Orban has repeatedly defied European Union laws (while accepting billions in Euro-subsidies), enfeebled democratic checks and balances, and packed courts, institutions and media outlets with cronies. He has used Hungary’s EU membership to divide the bloc and protect the interests of his avowed friends, Presidents Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin.

A weak economy and many corruption scandals are hurting Mr Orban’s party, which trails in the polls.

His opponents are not complacent, for he is a survivor with powerful patrons.

Eager to boost a fellow culture-warrior and immigration-sceptic, America’s vice-president, J. Vance, flew to Budapest on April 7th to hail Hungary’s prime minister as a defender of “Christian civilisation”

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