Politics of Hungary
Politics of Hungary takes place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The Prime Minister is the head of government of a pluriform multi-party system, while the President is the head of state and holds a largely ceremonial position.
 |
|---|
| This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Hungary |
Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament. The party system since the last elections is dominated by the conservative Fidesz. The two larger oppositions are Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and Jobbik; there are also opposition parties with no formal faction but representation in parliament (e. g. Politics Can Be Different) The Judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Hungary is an independent, democratic and constitutional state, which has been a member of the European Union since 2004. Since 1989 Hungary has been a parliamentary republic. Legislative power is exercised by the unicameral National Assembly that consists of 199 members. Members of the National Assembly are elected for four years.
The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Hungary a "flawed democracy" in 2019.[1]
Executive branch
| Office | Name | Party | Since |
|---|---|---|---|
| President | János Áder | Fidesz | 10 May 2012 |
| Prime Minister | Viktor Orbán | Fidesz | 29 May 2010 |
The President of the Republic, elected by the National Assembly every five years, has a largely ceremonial role, but he is nominally the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and his powers include the nomination of the Prime Minister who is to be elected by a majority of the votes of the Members of Parliament, based on the recommendation made by the President of the Republic. If the President dies, resigns or is otherwise unable to carry out his duties, the Speaker of the National Assembly becomes acting President.
Due to the Hungarian Constitution, based on the post-World War II Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Prime Minister has a leading role in the executive branch as he selects Cabinet ministers and has the exclusive right to dismiss them (similarly to the competences of the German federal chancellor). Each cabinet nominee appears before one or more parliamentary committees in consultative open hearings, survive a vote by the Parliament and must be formally approved by the president.
In Communist Hungary, the executive branch of the People's Republic of Hungary was represented by the Council of Ministers.
Legislative branch
The unicameral, 199-member National Assembly (Országgyűlés) is the highest organ of state authority and initiates and approves legislation sponsored by the prime minister. Its members are elected for a four-year term. The election threshold is 5%, but it only applies to the multi-seat constituencies and the compensation seats, not the single-seat constituencies.
Political parties and elections
 | |||||||||||
| Party | Party lists | FPTP | Total | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Seats | Votes | % | Seats | Seats | ± | ||||
| Fidesz–KDNP | 2,824,551 | 49.27 | 42 | 2,636,201 | 47.89 | 91 | 133 | 0 | |||
| Jobbik – Movement for a Better Hungary | 1,092,806 | 19.06 | 25 | 1,276,840 | 23.20 | 1 | 26 | +3 | |||
| Hungarian Socialist Party–Dialogue for Hungary | 682,701 | 11.91 | 12 | 622,458 | 11.31 | 8 | 20 | –10 | |||
| Politics Can Be Different | 404,429 | 7.06 | 7 | 312,731 | 5.68 | 1 | 8 | +3 | |||
| Democratic Coalition | 308,161 | 5.38 | 6 | 348,176 | 6.33 | 3 | 9 | +5 | |||
| Momentum Movement | 175,229 | 3.06 | 0 | 75,033 | 1.36 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| Hungarian Two-tailed Dog Party | 99,414 | 1.73 | 0 | 39,763 | 0.72 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| Together | 37,562 | 0.66 | 0 | 58,591 | 1.06 | 1 | 1 | –2 | |||
| National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary | 26,477 | 0.46 | 1 | 1 | +1 | ||||||
| Hungarian Workers' Party | 15,640 | 0.27 | 0 | 13,613 | 0.25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Family Party | 10,641 | 0.19 | 0 | 9,839 | 0.18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Hungarian Justice and Life Party | 8,712 | 0.15 | 0 | 6,897 | 0.13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Party for a Fit and Healthy Hungary | 7,309 | 0.13 | 0 | 5,523 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| National Self-Government of Gypsies | 5,703 | 0.10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Tenni Akarás Mozgalom | 5,312 | 0.09 | 0 | 1,177 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| Gypsy Party of Hungary | 4,109 | 0.07 | 0 | 3,700 | 0.07 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Common Ground | 3,894 | 0.07 | 0 | 3,319 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| Eye Party | 3,048 | 0.05 | 0 | 3,283 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| KÖSSZ | 2,722 | 0.05 | 0 | 2,659 | 0.05 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| Iránytű | 2,001 | 0.03 | 0 | 1,679 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| National Self-Government of Croats | 1,743 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Order Party | 1,708 | 0.03 | 0 | 1,416 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Unity Party | 1,407 | 0.02 | 0 | 3,167 | 0.06 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| Medete Party | 1,292 | 0.02 | 0 | 2,166 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| National Self-Government of Slovaks | 1,245 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| EU.ROM | 1,003 | 0.02 | 0 | 1,471 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| NP | 1,100 | 0.02 | 0 | 713 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | |||
| National Self-Government of Russians | 539 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| National Authority of Roma in Hungary | 428 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| National Self-Government of Serbs | 296 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| National Self-Government of Ukrainians | 270 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| National Self-Government of Poles | 210 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| National Self-Government of Slovenes | 199 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| National Authority of Hungarian Churches | 159 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| National Self-Government of Armenians | 159 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| National Self-Government of Bulgarians | 104 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| The Motherland Party | 1,980 | 0.04 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Democratic Party | 1,679 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Independent Smallholders' Party | 1,580 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| Lendülettel | 1,377 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Miszep | 1,158 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Go Hungary! | 1,120 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Értünk Értetek | 1,033 | 0.02 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| ÚMF | 780 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Nation and Peace | 767 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Modern Hungary Movement | 617 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| OP | 613 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| SZP | 554 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Democratic Party for Hungary | 498 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| IMA | 477 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| MINŐKP | 411 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| NEEM | 350 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| TAMP | 344 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| EMMO | 316 | 0.01 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| HHP | 255 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| DMP | 248 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| EP | 244 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| JÓ ÚT MPP | 226 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| AQP | 192 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| ECDP | 187 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Everyone's Homeland | 180 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| ERP | 169 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| ÉBMP | 168 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Hungarian Democratic Union | 149 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| OCP | 125 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| KEDN | 118 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Opre Roma | 114 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| MMM | 104 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| FITIP | 91 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| JMP | 64 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| National Greens | 53 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Oxygen Party | 37 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Civil Movement | 35 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| KPP | 35 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| HAM | 22 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| NOP | 18 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| EU Alternative | 15 | 0.00 | 0 | 0 | New | ||||||
| Independents | 55,612 | 1.01 | 1 | 1 | +1 | ||||||
| Total | 5,732,283 | 100 | 93 | 5,504,530 | 100 | 106 | 199 | 0 | |||
| Valid votes | 5,732,283 | 98.97 | |||||||||
| Invalid/blank votes | 59,585 | 1.03 | |||||||||
| Total | 5,791,868 | 100 | |||||||||
| Registered voters/turnout | 8,312,173 | 70.22 | |||||||||
| Source: National Election Office | |||||||||||
Judicial branches
A fifteen-member Constitutional Court has power to challenge legislation on grounds of unconstitutionality. This body was last filled on July 2010. Members are elected for a term of twelve years.
The President of the Supreme Court of Hungary and the Hungarian civil and penal legal system he leads is fully independent of the Executive Branch.
The Attorney General or Chief Prosecutor of Hungary is currently fully independent of the Executive Branch, but his status is actively debated
Several ombudsman offices exist in Hungary to protect civil, minority, educational and ecological rights in non-judicial matters. They have held the authority to issue legally binding decisions since late 2003.
Financial branch
The central bank, the Hungarian National Bank was fully self-governing between 1990–2004, but new legislation gave certain appointment rights to the Executive Branch in November 2004 which is disputed before the Constitutional Court.
Administrative divisions
Hungary is divided in 19 counties (megyék, singular - megye), 23 urban counties* (megyei jogú városok, singular - megyei jogú város), and 1 capital city** (főváros); Bács-Kiskun, Baranya, Békés, Békéscsaba*, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Budapest**, Csongrád, Debrecen*, Dunaújváros*, Eger*, Érd*, Fejér, Győr*, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Hajdú-Bihar, Heves, Hódmezővásárhely*, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Kaposvár*, Kecskemét*, Komárom-Esztergom, Miskolc*, Nagykanizsa*, Nógrád, Nyíregyháza*, Pécs*, Pest, Salgótarján*, Somogy, Sopron*, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Szeged*, Szekszárd*, Székesfehérvár*, Szolnok*, Szombathely*, Tatabánya*, Tolna, Vas, Veszprém, Veszprém*, Zala, Zalaegerszeg*
Involvement in International Organisations
Hungary is a member of the ABEDA, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, CEPI EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU (member, as by 1 May 2004), FAO, G-9, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, ITUC, NAM (guest), NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, PFP, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WCO, WEU (associate), WFTU, Visegrád group, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, and the Zangger Committee.
Ministries
Note: with restructuring and reorganization, this information may change even within a governmental period.
| English name | Hungarian name | Minister |
|---|---|---|
| The Prime Minister's Office | Miniszterelnökség | Gergely Gulyás |
| The Prime Minister's Cabinet Office | A Miniszterelnöki Kabinetiroda | Antal Rogán |
| Ministry of Home Affairs | Belügyminisztérium | Sándor Pintér |
| Ministry of Defence | Honvédelmi Minisztérium | Tibor Benkő |
| Ministry of Human Resources | Emberi Erőforrások Minisztériuma | Miklós Kásler |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade | Külgazdasági és Külügyminisztérium | Péter Szijjártó |
| Ministry of Justice | Igazságügyi Minisztérium | Judit Varga |
| Ministry of Finance | Pénzügyminisztérium | Mihály Varga |
| Ministry of agriculture | Agrárminisztérium | István Nagy |
| Ministry of Innovation and Technology | Innovációs és Technológiai Minisztérium | László Palkovics |
Ministers without portfolio
- Ministers without portfolio: János Süli, Andre Bártfai-Mager, Katalin Novák
Notes
References
- The Economist Intelligence Unit (8 January 2019). "Democracy Index 2019". Economist Intelligence Unit. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
- Website of the Prime Minister's Office. Retrieved 31 January 2010.