Political Geography - The 'geographical imaginary' centred on the physical landscape of the Carpathian basin, and the formulation of national-populist

This proposed thesis will investigate the meanings and resonance of Hungarian political elites efforts to (re-)produce a geographical imaginary of the nation centred on the physical landscape of the Carpathian basin. This project will uniquely integrate the concept of geopolitical cultures (Toal 2017) with geographical imaginaries (Said 1978; Gregory 1994) to draw new insight into the formation of national-populist trends in Hungary and the geopolitical, social, and cultural relevance of this physical landscape. Under a feminist geography framework, female-identifying voices will be highlighted to explore how this notion is predominantly proclaimed in male-dominated discourses and how it is understood by those not represented within the discussions. Drawing on Brubaker's (2020) conceptualisation of populism, this research will additionally focus on regional perspectives towards the challenges of differing geopolitical cultures and values posed by national-populist narratives in Hungary, understanding this knowledge and perspectives as 'situated'. With growing concern about the emerging patterns of Hungarian governance (Scott 2021; Merabishvili 2022), this project will provide a vital account of developing populist trends. The attention given to the EU and regional development throughout this research additionally allows it to be of significant relevance to policy spheres.