In illiberal democracies, independent governmental entities and checks on central government power–most notably, a constitution, a depoliticized judiciary and law enforcement agency, free and independent media, and fair elections–still exist on paper, but have been rigged in favor of the government in actual practice. These norms and institutions are eliminated in a truly fascist state. One man is identified as the only authentic representative of the national will, and all checks and balances on his power are removed to permit him to pursue a reactionary agenda intended to make his country great again.
Hungary has been an illiberal democracy for years; with the decision to permit Orban to rule by decree during the pandemic, it may well be slipping into fascism. There are self-admitted supporters of illiberal democracy in America, too. More on that in my next post.