Politics of Hungary

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Politics of Hungary
show Constitution 1949 Constitution
show Executive President (list) János Áder Government Current cabinet Prime Minister (list) Viktor Orbán
show Parliament National Assembly Speaker: László Kövér Political parties Fidesz Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) Jobbik Politics Can Be Different (LMP) Dialogue for Hungary (PM) Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) Democratic Coalition (DK)
show Recent elections Parliamentary: 2014 2018 2022 Presidential: 2012 2017 2022 Local: 2010 2014 2019
show Budapest Mayor of Budapest Gergely Karácsony Mayoral elections 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2019
show Administrative divisions Districts Counties Regions Subregions
show Foreign relations Germany–Hungary relations France–Hungary relations Politics of the European Union
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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.

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 2020.^[1]

Executive branch[]

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 Hungarian People's Republic was represented by the Council of Ministers.

Legislative branch[]

Parliament of Hungary.

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 list			Constituency			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
	For Hungary's Poor People	3,048	0.05	0	3,283	0.06	0	0	New
	We need Cooperation Party	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[]

Constitutional Court of Hungary.

A fifteen-member Constitutional Court has power to challenge legislation on grounds of unconstitutionality. This body was last filled in 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 and 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, , 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.

Ministers without portfolio[]

• Ministers without portfolio: János Süli, , Katalin Novák

Notes[]

References[]