(In)visibilized? Roma in social, family and workfare policy discourses in the authoritarian neoliberal context of Hungary

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PurposeThis article explores how a disadvantaged ethnic minority is portrayed in government discourses related to social, family and workfare policies in an illiberal and authoritarian neoliberal system, using the case of Hungary and Hungarian Roma. In our paper, relying on the theory of post-raciality and, within this, the concepts of (in)visibilization, we aim to reveal to what extent Roma are perceived as the undeserving racialized poor.Design/methodology/approachWe deployed the policy frame analysis method to categorize policy discourse content into different frames: diagnostic (identification of the problem), prognostic (solutions to problems) and motivational (incentives for action to mobilize people). Three data sources were used: pro-government media articles, state-of-the-nation address speeches and the party manifesto of the governing party. The timeframe of the analysis was between 2010 and 2023. The dataset consisted of 75 documents.FindingsOnly in a few cases did we find racializing language, typically at the beginning of the analyzed period, which gradually disappeared from the discourse, followed by a more paternalistic tone. We conclude that the notions of merit and self-responsibilization have been successfully used to hide (invisibilize) the structural causes of ethnic inequalities and shift the responsibility to individual efforts. The most vulnerable Roma, who are excluded from the labor market, are perceived as not accepting the neoliberal and paternalistic “social contract.” At the same time, they are made invisible by being omitted from the official narrative.Originality/valueA wide range of literature tackles questions like how neoliberal authoritarianism is related to workfare policies and ethnic minorities. Much less is said about how vulnerable ethnic minority groups are perceived in authoritarian neoliberal regimes. This paper contributes to a better understanding of how such regimes perceive minorities: the use of the categories of racialized or non-racialized, and deserving or undeserving minorities.