Elemér Hankiss
Born in 1928, Hungarian sociologist Elemér Hankiss, is a senior fellow of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Institute of Political Sciences. He teaches in the College of Europe in Bruges and several American universities, and is also the author of several books and articles on the values of Central Europe and change in post-communist societies.
Updated: 12 October 2009
A recent national survey has ranked Hungarians among the most pessimistic peoples on the planet. Taking a broad look at the different profiles that participate in the collective gloom — from those who lost out in the 1989 regime change to thwarted ideologues — sociologist Elemér Hankiss explores the range of Hungarian despondency.