Turkey elections #1 : Lessons from Hungary and Israel

If it is not the economy or democracy... then what the heck?!

I am afraid there will be more of these letters in the run-up to Turkey’s elections. As many in Turkey believe, and rightly so, that the upcoming elections in Turkey scheduled for June 2023 – but possibly in May 2023 – will be a make-or-break moment.

Hungary, Israel, and Turkey each have distinct features, different settings, and electoral laws. However, I believe these two cases bear important lessons not only for Turkey but for many countries that are either electoral autocracies or are in the midst of existential electoral politics. I will not go into detail about how these three countries and their electoral systems differ. I believe it is conspicuous enough. What I’d like to do is examine the parallels and draw lessons.

Benjamin Netanyahu, by coming out victorious from the November 2022 elections became the longest-serving prime minister of Israel. The same is true for Viktor O…