From Parliament to the Classroom, and Back

As a youth organizer navigating Hungary’s post-Soviet transformation, Zsuzsanna Szelényi F10 didn’t just witness history, she stepped into it, becoming a member of Parliament at the age of 23. 

Her early political career was shaped by hands-on experience and an interest in foreign policy. After working for the democratic transition in Hungary in the early 1990s, Szelényi joined the Council of Europe, a continental organization for democracy and human rights. By the time she applied to Fletcher’s Global Master of Arts Program (GMAP) in 2009, Szelényi had amassed over 18 years of professional experience. 

“I had practical experience working in the international field, but it was all from a European perspective,” Szelényi said. “So when I applied to Fletcher, I knew I needed a fresh outlook. I wanted a more global perspective.” 

Diverse Perspectives Spark a New Approach

At Fletcher, Szelényi found herself around a diverse cohort of midcareer professionals who brought experience and a shared eagerness to learn more.  

“I had a very specific transatlantic experience at the time, but I didn’t know much about Latin America and Africa,” she said. “I learned a lot from my peers who were coming from these regions.”

Szelényi also appreciated the blend of academic insights and real-world experience among Fletcher’s faculty. 

“It was fascinating learning from people who were navigating through real crisis situations or had participated in climate negotiations,” she added. “This was very different from my experience with  European academia.” 

Szelényi’s studies at Fletcher were marked by global uncertainty as the world continued to absorb the effects of the 2008 financial crisis. Instead of studying history in retrospect, Szelényi and her peers engaged in real-time analysis to better understand how the world was reacting to the situation. 

It was during this time that she gained clarity on her professional direction.  

“I am more of a risk-taker, a challenger,” Szelényi said. “I learned that I needed to change jobs.” 

Global Fallout, Local Consequences: Hungary After 2008 

After completing the GMAP, Szelényi returned to Hungary to a political landscape that looked very different from that of her youth.  

“I re-entered Hungarian politics in 2012 when the government openly criticized liberal democracy and announced plans to build a new system – called an illiberal system,” she said.  

For the next six years, Szelényi focused on understanding Hungary’s massive democratic backsliding and how best to respond. Her time at Fletcher proved instrumental. 

“I could really use the knowledge I gained through my Fletcher studies – strategic thinking, global movements and trends,” she said. “And I was happy to know more about the Middle East and Asia. It helped me understand the broader contexts of the political changes I was witnessing in Hungary and across Europe.”

Many of those changes, Szelényi believes, were rooted in the fallout from the 2008 financial crisis. 

“When liberal democracy was questioned in Hungary, it was in reference to 2008,” Szelényi explained. “I think we are still struggling with this now. In the time of polycrisis and growing insecurity, there are many more people questioning whether the West’s liberal democracy is the best governmental model for them. Even in the West, there is a need to prove that it is, and we haven’t necessarily done that yet.” 

From Page to Public Dialogue

Drawing from her decades of experience, Szelényi published her first book, Tainted Democracy: Victor Orbán and the Subversion of Hungary. It was included in “Best Books of 2023” by Foreign Affairs.

“In this book, I tell the story of 30 years of Hungarian politics and society; how it emerged as a kind of poster child of democracy, and how this was relatively easy to capture and turn into something else.”

Since the book’s publication, Szelényi has been active on the global stage, delivering public talks and hosting discussions on current affairs.

“I am a very social person,” she explained, “and I believe deeply in political agency. I am here to exercise this – to collaborate with others on how we can better our future.” 

Read more about Fletcher’s Global Master of Arts Program.