The Political System of Hungary

The Political System of Hungary

Introduction

The State

The Fundamental Law of Hungary

(Magyarország Alaptörvénye)

Official name: Hungary (Magyarország)

Form of Government: Republic (3rd)

Customary (unwritten constitution) until 1949

1949: Peoples Republic of Hungary

1989: Modified the 1949 constitution

2011. april: Fundamental Law

• The National Assembly - Legistlation

• The Goverment - Executive Branch

• The President of Hungary - Head of State

• (The Constitutional Court)

"We (...) honour the Holy Crown,

which embodies the constitutional continuity of Hungary’s statehood and the unity of the

nation." (National Avowal, Fundamental Law)

The Government

(Kormány)

The President of the Republic

The National Assembly

(Országgyűlés)

Viktor Orbán

• Elected by the Parliament for 6 years
• " (...) shall embody the unity of the nation and be the guardian of the democratic functioning of the state organisation."

• (3) The President of the Republic:

a) shall represent Hungary;

b) may attend and address the sittings of the National Assembly;

c) may initiate Acts;

d) may initiate national referendums;

e) shall set the date for general elections

h) may dissolve the National Assembly

• "The counter-signature of a Member of the Government shall be required for all actions and decisions of the President of the Republic (...)"

• Legislative organ
• Unicameral
• 199 MP
• Elects the President
• Elects the Prime Minister

János Áder

• Executive branch - upholds the law
• Prime Minister
• "Ministers shall be appointed by the President of the Republic on the proposal of the Prime Minister"
• 4 year long mandate

Elections

Parties

General characteristics of Hungarian Politics

Ideology:

Conservative/Christian Democrat

Social Democratic/Liberal

Radical Nationalism/Nationalism

Green, "Third way"

Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union - 44.54% of votes, but 66,83% of seats = 2/3 majority!

Unity - 25,99% (19% of seats)

Jobbik - Movement for a Better Hungary - 20,58% (11,5% of seats)

LMP - Politics can be Different - 5,26% (2,51% of seats)

• Strong left-right polarity
• Left-right: mainly ideological differences, only secondarily focus on economic questions
• "Symbolic politics"
• Weak civil society
• Proportion of party members only 5% of total adult population

Tendencies:

• Government more influential than the Parliament
• Role of leading politicians (PM candidates)
• Elites enforce and create differences, not consolidates them

• Universal suffrage, all citizens 18 or above
• Only one round
• Mixed system
• 199 seats:

106 from constituency lists (kredsmandater),

93 party list seats including minority list seats (tillægsmandater)

• 5% threshold for single parties, 10% if coalition
• Nomination of candidates: at least 1000 proposal coupons for constituency lists, party lists: if party has candidates in at least 27 constituencies.

• Generally, the system is good for larger parties and benefits the winning party -> stable government, less fragmented parliament