Activists among Passivism and Growing Authoritarianism: The Social Psychology of Activism in Hungary Today

Hungary is generally characterised by low levels of political participation, trust in democratic instutions and collective efficacy even in a Central European context. However, recent years have seen an upsurge in political activism and large segments of the population are unhappy with the political and economic situation. Who are the people who participate in these changing times and what is it that moves them? Our studies provide contextualised social psychological answers to these questions, identifying different types of activists and showing how their identities and ideologies drive their motivations, emotions and mobilization potential. Findings from a qualitative interview study of 30 activists and a 600 online general population survey are combined to explain different levels and types of participation from professional organisers to people occasionally signing petitions for local causes.