How Orbán won? Neoliberal disenchantment and the grand strategy of financial nationalism to reconstruct capitalism and regain autonomy

Abstract Disenchantment with global finance in Central-Eastern Europe enabled financial nationalism to emerge as a counter-hegemonic strategy. In Hungary, Prime Minister Orbán put forth his explicit aim increase domestic ownership banking over 50% and legitimized the ensuing re-nationalization of sector resentment neoliberal practices. The article describes how crisis created an opportunity for allies usher new era structures. It provides critical political economy analysis government selected economic sectors target it used network associated private actors its quest re-nationalize then re-privatize major banks newly elite, ‘national capitalists’. this, constituted grand strategy reconstruct Hungarian capitalism order regain autonomy assure long-term survival within liberal EU context.