At the 10th EMES International Research Conference in the Netherlands (3–7 November 2025), the Centre for Social Innovation (ZSI) delivered compelling contributions within the framework of its ongoing SERIGO project. Judit Keller (ZSI)—together with Ágnes Németh (UEF)—presented significant insights into how Social Economy (SE) initiatives navigate increasingly restrictive political and institutional conditions in Hungary.
Their presentation, Social entrepreneurship in de-democratizing governance conditions: case studies from rural peripheries in Hungary, examined two Hungarian SERIGO case studies—Kiútprogram and SHANCO by BAGázs—to understand how SE actors supporting marginalised Roma communities operate under neoliberal authoritarianism, shrinking welfare provision, and tightening state control over civil society.
· Kiútprogram, which supports Roma families through micro-enterprise development and community-based agricultural production, has demonstrated strong social impact through income generation, skill-building, and confidence enhancement. Yet its reach has narrowed due to limited state support and restrictive regulatory obstacles.
· SHANCO, a community-run textile initiative empowering Roma women, provides a safe working environment and meaningful income opportunities. However, the absence of municipal cooperation highlights the challenges of scaling bottom-up innovation in politically sensitive contexts.
ZSI’s analysis revealed a core tension: while Hungarian SE initiatives create incremental but meaningful improvements in the lives of marginalised communities, their transformative potential is curtailed by a highly centralised, depoliticised governance system that isolates civic actors instead of enabling systemic change.
By bringing these findings to EMES 2025, ZSI made a significant contribution to international debates on the future of the Social Economy, offering timely evidence on how political environments shape the possibilities—and limits—of social innovation in rural and marginalised contexts.
