Historian Timothy Snyder on Orban’s defeat, Christian nationalism, and What’s Coming Next

From Next Question with Katie Couric by iHeartPodcasts

April 24, 2026 · 1h 5m · Season 12 · Episode 29

About this episode

Historian Timothy Snyder discusses the implications of Hungary's election upset and its relevance to American democracy.

Snyder has spent his career studying how democracies collapse — and how they fight back. He's the Chair in Modern European History at the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, the bestselling author of  On Tyranny and On Freedom , and he's also the writer behind the popular Substack newsletter Thinking About. In this conversation, Snyder uses Hungary's stunning election upset, in which opposition leader Péter Magyar defeated Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power, as a roadmap for American democracy. He breaks down what made Magyar's campaign work, why protests matter even when they feel futile, and how the war with Iran could impact the upcoming elections. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Katie Couric

Guest: Timothy Snyder

Topics covered

democracy
Hungary elections
Christian nationalism
political campaigns
American democracy
historical analysis

Keywords

Timothy Snyder
Hungary
Viktor Orbán
Péter Magyar
democracy
Christian nationalism
elections
On Tyranny
On Freedom

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, Substack

Books & works: On Tyranny, On Freedom