Vengrija

The effective constitution of Hungary is the Constitution of 1949 together with its amendments. Since the amendment to the Constitution proclaimed on 23 October 1989 the form of the Hungarian state has been a parliamentary republic. The Republic of Hungary is an independent and democratic state.
The Constitution is composed of 78 articles and nearly 400 phrases. Its chapters:
1. general provisions,
2. the National Assembly,
3. the President of the Republic,
4. the Constitutional Court,
5. the parliamentary commissioner for citizen's rights and the parliamentary commissioner for national and ethnic minority rights,
6. the State Audit Office and the National Bank of Hungary,
7. the government,
8. the armed forces and the police,
9. the local governments,
10. the judiciary,
11. the office of the public prosecutor,
12. the fundamental rights and obligations,
13. the basic principles of elections,
14. the capital and national symbols of the Republic of Hungary,
15. closing provisions.

Constitutional Court

In accordance with Act XXXII of 1989 on the Constitution and the Constitutional Court, the Constitutional Court has the task of ensuring constitutionality; it has been in operation since 1 January 1990. The 11 members of the Court are elected for nine years by the National Assembly with a two-thirds majority. The judges of the Constitutional Court are independent and may not be removed. They are appointed for nine years. Decisions of the Constitutional Court are binding on everybody.
The chairman of the Constitutional Court was László Sólyom between 1989-1998, János Németh between 1998-2003 and has been András Holló since 2003 aug.

Election System

Act XXXIV of 1989 on parliamentary election applies a mixed system of electorates:
176 seats are to be won in individual constituencies
152 seats on twenty regional (county, capital) lists, and
58 seats from a national list.
The Hungarian election system calls for two votes: voters cast one vote on a candidate of the individual constituency and may choose from the regional party lists by the other vote. In individual constituencies the recommendation of at least 750 voters in required for candidacy. A political party may set up a regional list if it has candidates in one-quarter of the individual constituencies but in at least two constituency. At least seven regional lists are required for a national list.
5 percent of the total valid votes cast nationwide on the party lists is required for a party to get into the National Assembly.

Government

Executive power - government functions and the highest-level control of public administration - is exercised by the government, in which the Prime Minister plays a dominant role. The National Assembly elects the Prime Minister on the basis of the principle of parliamentary majority, concurrently approving the government programme. The government is constituted upon the appointment of ministers and their ministerial oath.
The establishment of ministries is the prerogative of the National Assembly'; their list is set out in law. Ministries are headed by the ministers, who are members of the government. Senior officials of the ministries are the political and administrative under-secretaries.
The ministries of the Republic of Hungary since the latest elections of 2002: Prime Minister?s Office, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Health, Social Affairs and Family; Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Transport, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Children, Youth and Sports Affairs; Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Environmental Protection and Water, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Cultural Heritage, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunications.
After the free election of 1990 the Hungarian Democratic Forum (Magyar Demokrata Fórum - MDF) formed a coalition government with the Independent Smallholders' Party (Független Kisgazda Párt - (FKGP) and the Christian Democratic People's Party (Keresztény Demokrata Néppárt - KDNP). The Prime Minister of the Republic of Hungary became József Antall, president of MDF, who filled this office until his death on 12 December 1993. For the remainder of the election term, Minister of Interior Péter Boross headed the government.
Between 1994-1998 the coalition established by the Hungarian Socialist Party (Magyar Szocialista Párt -MSZP) and the Alliance of Free Democrats (Szabaddemokraták Szövetsége -SZDSZ) was in office; the Prime Minister was Gyula Horn, president of MSZP.
Following the elections in 1998 Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party (Fidesz Magyar Polgári Párt), FKGP and MDF established a government coalition headed by Viktor Orbán, then chairman of Fidesz. In addition to the Prime Minister, heads of 13 ministries and two ministers without portfolio made up the 18-member cabinet. The head of the Prime Minister's Office, also had the rank of minister.
After the elections in 2002 a coalition was formed by MSZP and SZDSZ again headed by Péter Medgyessy of MSZP. A cabinet of 15 ministers make up the government. A new ministry of IT was created and two ministries were cancelled.
After Péter Medgyessy's resign (september, 2004) former businessman and party member of MSZP Ferenc Gyurcsány became the new Prime Minister, . The new government was formed at 4. oktober 2004.
The coalition of MSZP-SZDSZ won the parlamentary elections again in 2006, the second Gyurcsány-government formed on the 9th of June.
On the 30th of April 2008, SZDSZ decided to quit the coalition.

Judiciary System

The function of the judiciary system is to serve justice, the main forms of which are: - criminal justice - civil justice - controlling the legality of administrative decisions.
In the Republic of Hungary, the judiciary consist of the Supreme Court, the courts of appeal, the county (metropolitan) courts and the local (metropolitan district) courts.
The administration of courts is the responsibility of the National Judicial Council (Országos Igazságszolgáltatási Tanács). The chairman of the Supreme Court since 1990 and the president of the National Judicial Council since 1997: Dr. Pál Solt.
In the judiciary, the state's punitive power is represented by the public prosecutor. The Prosecutor General has been Dr. Péter Polt since 2000.

Legislation

The supreme organ of legislature and representation is the National Assembly composed of 386 members and a single chamber. Members of Parliament have a mandate for four years. According to the Constitution all adult Hungarian citizens - over the age of 18 - living in the territory of the Republic of Hungarymay be elected, and if they are within the country's territory on election day, they may also elect.

Local Governments

Citizens exercise local governance at their places of residence - on the basis of Act LXV of 1990 in the villages, towns, cities, boroughs, in the capital and the 23 districts of the capital - through an assembly of representatives elected by them or directly, for instance by way of local referenda. (Based on the new regional development concept approved in 1998 the development of the seven administrative regions in line with the requirements of the European Union is in progress.)
The local assembly is headed by the mayor and the vice mayor; in municipal matters the assembly passes regulations and performs administration independently, it may receive subsidies from the central government in addition to its own revenues, and may adopt local by-laws. The obligations of municipalities include elementary education, the provision of health care and basic social benefits, the enforcement of the rights of national and ethnic minorities, establishment of local titles and awards, etc. The mayor is elected directly by the voters.
Free and general municipality elections were held in Hungary in the autumns of 1990, 1994 and 1998.

National Symbols

Act LXXXIII of 1995 provides for the use of national symbols.)
Coat-of-arms
Pursuant to Act XLIV of 1990, the coat-of-arms of the Republic of Hungary is the so-called crowned, lesser historical coat-of-arms. The coat-of-arms of the Republic of Hungary is a pointed, impaled shield. Its first field has a bary of eight, gules (red) and argent (silver). The other, gules field has a patriarchal cross argent rising from a crown or (gold) on a triple mound vert (green). The shield is ensigned with the Hungarian Holy Crown.
Flag
The flag of the Republic of Hungary is a tricolour consisting of horizontal red, white and green bands of equal width, the bands.
Anthem
Since 23 October 1989, the national anthem of the Republic of Hungary has officially been also in public law terms the poem Himnuszby Ferenc Kölcsey (1790-1838) written in 1823, to which Ferenc Erkel (1810-1893) composed music in 1844. On official occasions, usually the first of the eight stanzas is played:
Isten, áldd meg a magyart
Jó kedvvel, bőséggel,
nyújts feléje védő kart,
Ha küzd ellenséggel;
Bal sors akit régen tép,
Hozz rá víg esztendőt,
Megbűnhődte már e nép
A múltat s jövendőt!
(O, my God, the Magyar bless
With Thy plenty and good cheer!
With Thine aid his just cause press,
Where his foes to fight appear.
Fate, who for so long did'st frown,
Bring him happy times and ways;
Atoning sorrow hath weighed down
Sins of past and future days.)
(Translated by William N. Loew)
Act I of 2000 commemorates the foundation of the state by St. Stephen and the Holy Crown. The Holy Crown, the historical symbol of the Hungarian Kingdom and the royal insignia (the sceptre, the orb and the coronation sword) - except for the coronation robe - have been on display in the building of the Parliament since 1 January 2001.
National holidays
According to the Act VIII of 1991 national holidays are:
( 15 March, the beginning of the revolution and war of independence of 1848-1849, the date when modern parliamentary democracy was born;
( 20 August, holiday of Saint Stephen, founder of the state;
( 23 October, the date when the revolution and war of independence of 1956 started and when the Republic of Hungary was proclaimed in 1989.
Of the above holidays, the National Assembly declared 20 August to be official state holiday.

National Assembly

Following the free elections the new parliamentary bodies passed several hundred new laws, amendments to laws and resolutions during the past two terms of Parliament (1990-1994 and 1994-1998), which created the institutional and legislative framework for the evolution of a democratic rule of law and a market economy. Amendments to the Constitution and major decisions require a majority of two-thirds.
The Hungarian National Assembly has continuous sessions, the ordinary sessions taking place twice a year: in the spring and in the autumn.
Control by the National Assembly is exercised through questions, interpellations (ministerial questions) and committees of the National Assembly.
Independent controlling bodies of Parliament: the State Audit Office and the parliamentary commissioner for citizens' rights (ombudsman). The State Audit Office has been in operation since 1990, and the ombudsmen commenced their activities in 1995.
The officers of the National Assembly are the chairman, the deputy chairmen and the notaries.
The Table Office is an important body of the National Assembly; its members are the chairman, the vice chairmen and the fraction leaders. The National Assembly establishes the standing committees in its first session.
The National Assembly elects the President of the Republic, the Prime Minister, members of the Constitutional Court, the parliamentary commissioners for citizens (ombudsmen), the chairman of the Supreme Court and the Prosecutor General.

Political Parties

After four decades of a single-party system, since 1988 - 1989 a multi-party parliamentary system has returned to Hungary by the revival of old parties and the establishment of new parties.
Parliamentary parties that play the greatest role in politics are:
FIDESZ - MAGYAR POLGÁRI PÁRT (Fidesz)
(Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party)
Established: 30 March 1988. Until 29 April 1995 it was called Fiatal Demokraták Szövetsége (Alliance of Young Democrats). It has been a parliamentary party since 1990. It has been a governing party in coalition with FKGP and MDF since 8 July 1998. President: Viktor Orbán (since May, 2003).
MAGYAR SZOCIALISTA PÁRT (MSZP)
(Hungarian Socialist Party)
Established: 7 October 1989. It has been a parliamentary party since 1990, and was a governing party in coalition with SZDSZ between 1994-1998. MSZP was a governing party in coalition with SZDSZ from 2002 to 2008. On the 30th of April 2008, SZDSZ decided to quit the coalition.
President: Ferenc Gyurcsány (since the 24th October, 2007.)
FÜGGETLEN KISGAZDA-, FÖLDMUNKÁS- ÉS POLGÁRI PÁRT (FKGP)
(Independent Smallholders', Land Workers' and Civic Party)
Established: 18 November 1988. It has been a parliamentary party since 1990, and was a member of the governing coalition with MDF and KDNP between 1990-1994, and with Fidesz and MDF since 1998. President: Dr. József Torgyán (since 29 June 1991).
SZABAD DEMOKRATÁK SZÖVETSÉGE (SZDSZ)
(Alliance of Free Democrats)
Established: 13 November 1988. It has been a parliamentary party since 1990, and was a governing party in coalition with MSZP between 1994-1998. SZDSZ formed coalition again with MSZP in 2002 and was a governing party until the 30th April 2008, when SZDSZ decided to quit the coalition.
President: Gábor Fodor (since the 7th of June 2008.)
MAGYAR DEMOKRATA FÓRUM (MDF)
(Hungarian Democratic Forum)
Established: 27 September 1987, Lakitelek. It has been a parliamentary party since 1990, and was a governing party in coalition with FKGP and KDNP between 1990-1994, and with Fidesz and FKGP since 1998. President: Dr. Ibolya Dávid (since 30 January 1999).
MAGYAR IGAZSÁG ÉS ÉLET PÁRTJA (MIÉP)
(Hungarian Truth and Life Party)
Established: 21 June 1993. It has been a parliamentary party since 1998. President: István Csurka (since 1 October 1994).

President of the Republic

The President of the Republic of Hungary is elected, with a secret ballot by a two-third majority vote, by the National Assembly; for a term of five years; persons eligible for the position are Hungarian citizens over the age of 35 years who have a right to vote.
The first President of the Republic of Hungary, which was proclaimed in 1989, was Árpád Göncz, elected by the National Assembly on 3 August 1990 for five years. On 19 June 1995 he was re-elected as head of state as the candidate of the parliamentary majority at the time.
When the second presidential mandate of Árpád Göncz expired, the National Assembly elected Ferenc Mádl, candidate of Fidesz-MPP-FKGP-MDF as the new President of the Republic on 6 June 2000, and he came into office on 4 August 2000.
On 7th June 2005 the National Assembly of Hungary elected László Sólyom President of the Republic. The former president of the Constitutional Court (1990-1998) takes office on 5th August 2005.
* * *
The Head of State has the following powers: he signs and promulgates laws; he may adjourn the sessions of or dissolve the National Assembly, he sets the date for parliamentary elections; he has a one-time veto power over an Act of Parliament before signing it if he disagrees with it; he has wide-ranging powers to initiate measures; he gives the mandate to form the cabinet and the Prime Minister is elected by the National Assembly upon his proposal; he appoints ministers, undersecretaries, generals, judges of courts of law; he has the power of individual pardon (in the latter cases, with the counter-signature of the Prime Minister). The President of the Republic is the commander-in-chief of the armed forces, and has his own powers also in foreign affairs.

895
The Conquest - Arriving from the East, the Hungarian tribes conquer the Carpathian Basin under Árpád's leadership.
1000
Stephen I. (Saint Stephen) is crowned king, and during his reign Christianity is adopted and the structure of the Hungarian state is set up.
1222
The Golden Bull issued during the reign of King Andrew II confirms feudal privileges and grants the right of resistance to the nobility.
1241-1242
The Mongols invade the country. The reconstruction is Béla IV's achievement.
1301
The house of Árpád dies out with King Andrew III.
1307
A ruler from the House of Anjou: Charles Robert I ascends the throne.
1342-1382
Under the reign of Charles' son, Louis I, the Great, the medieval state of Hungary attains its largest territory. Louis secures the throne of Naples, and becomes king of Poland in 1370.
1396
In the battle of Nikápoly the Turks secure their first important victory by defeating the crusader army of Sigismund of Luxembourg.
1456
János Hunyadi successfully defends Nándorfehérvár, today's Belgrade, and stops Turkish attacks for half a century.
1458-1490
During Mátyás (Matthias) Hunyadi's reign Hungary is an important European power: the Black Army conquers part of Bohemia and takes Vienna.
1514
The greatest Hungarian peasant uprising led by György Dózsa.
29 August 1526
The independent Hungarian state falls in the battle of Mohács against the attacking Turkish empire. One camp of the feudal estates elects János Szapolyai while another camp elects Ferdinand I (of Habsburg) king.
1541
Buda is seized by the Turks. The country is divided into three parts, the largest part is held by the Turks while Northern and Western Hungary recognises the Habsburgs as ruler and Transylvania becomes an independent principality pursuant to the Speyer treaty of 1570.
1593-1606
The 15-year war against the Turks ends with the Peace of Zsitvatorok.
1604-1606
The fight of István Bocskai (ruler of Transylvania from 1605) for independence ends with the Peace of Vienna.
1613-1629
Transylvania's golden age under the rule of Gábor Bethlen.
1683-1699
The Turks are expelled from Hungary with the help of the Habsburg emperor. The castle of Buda is recaptured in 1686.
1703-1711
War of Independence of Ferenc Rákóczi II (prince of Transylvania from 1704, ruling prince from 1705) against the Habsburgs. In 1707 the national assembly at Ónod declares the dethronement of the Habsburgs, but the war of independence fails.
1722
The Pragmatic Sanction endorses the line of succession through the female line of the Habsburgs.
1740-1780
Reign of Maria Theresa (apostolic monarch from 1758).
1780-1790
Reign of Joseph II. The enlightened absolutist monarch, the "king with a hat" introduces a number of reforms but, with the exception of three, revokes them on his deathbed.
1794-1795
Conspiracy of the Hungarian Jacobins led by Ignác Martinovics.
1825
Count István Széchenyi offers one year's revenue of his estates for the establishment of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in the national assembly of Bratislava - the beginning of the Reform Period. Starting from 1832, the national assembly conducts its sessions in Hungarian instead of Latin.
15 March 1848
Revolution in Pest. On 7 April King Ferdinand V appoints the first independent and responsible Hungarian government led by Count Lajos Batthyány, and on 11 April assents to the laws adopted by the last feudal Diet.
September 1848
A war of independence begins against the Habsburgs. After the initial defeats, the Hungarian troops win a series of victories.
14 April 1849
The national assembly proclaims the dethronement of the Habsburgs and elects Lajos Kossuth as governor-president in Debrecen.
13 August 1849
Fall of the War of Independence. The Hungarian army capitulates to the Austrian emperor's and the Russian tzar's superior forces at Világos.
6 October 1849
The martyrs of the War of Independence are executed in Arad, Lajos Batthyány in Pest. By way of retaliation, all laws adopted in 1848-1849 are invalidated, only the liberation of serfs remains in force. The constitutional independence of Hungary is abolished and the Austrian customs and legal system is introduced.
29 May 1867
Compromise with the House of Habsburg. Francis Joseph I is crowned King of Hungary, and the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy is established. Dynamic economic development starts in Hungary while political and national tensions are aggravated.
1896
The millennium, the thousandth anniversary of the Magyar conquest, is celebrated with great pomp.
28 July 1914
Following the assassination of Francis Ferdinand, heir to the Austrian throne, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy declares war on Serbia; World War I breaks out.
1918
As a result of the defeat the Monarchy falls apart.
31 October 1918
The ?aster revolution" triumphs in Budapest, and Count Mihály Károlyi becomes Prime Minister.
21 March - 31 July 1919
Károlyi resigns because of the Entente's territorial claims. The Republic of Council is established, headed by the Communist Béla Kun. The Commune survives for 133 days. A counter-government is established at Szeged.
16 November 1919
Miklós Horthy, defense minister of the counter-government and commander-in-chief of the national army marches into Budapest.
1 March 1920
Miklós Horthy is elected Regent. Hungary is a "kingdom" again in name but the issue of the power of the head of state is not settled with final effect.
4 June 1920
The peace treaty of Trianon is signed, which reduces Hungary's territory from 288,000 square kilometres to 93,000 and its population from 18.2 million to 7.6 million. Millions of Hungarians find themselves in the successor states of the collapsed Monarchy, and the revision of the Treaty becomes the goal for Hungarian foreign policy.
6 November 1921
The law on the dethronement of the House of Habsburg is enacted.
1921-1931
The country is consolidated under Prime Minister Count István Bethlen but is unable to fend off the effects of the Great Depression.
1932-1936
During the period when Gyula Gömbös is Prime Minister, foreign policy increasingly seeks support from the Fascist Germany and Italy, the Axis powers.
2 November 1938
The Italian-German court of arbitration returns from Czechoslovakia to Hungary the part of the Felvidék inhabited by Hungarians by the First Vienna Award, and in March 1939 the Sub-Carpathia is re-annexed. In August 1940 the Second Vienna Award gives back Northern Transylvania together with Székelyföld to Hungary.
3 April 1941
After Hungary permits the transit of the German army on its way to occupy Yugoslavia, thus breaching the ?treaty of eternal friendship', Prime Minister Pál Teleki commits suicide. On 16 April Bácska, the Baranya triangle, Muraköz and Muravidék are returned to Hungary.
26 June 1941
The government led by László Bárdossy declares war on the Soviet Union. Hungary enters World War II.
January 1943
The Second Hungarian Army is annihilated at the bend of the Don river.
19 March 1944
Hungary is occupied by the Germans. On 15 October Horthy makes a failed attempt at pulling out of the war; the next day the Germans force him to resign. Ferenc Szálasi, leader of the Arrow-Cross (Hungarian National Socialist) Party becomes "leader of the nation".
21 December 1944
The Provisional National Assembly convenes in Debrecen, the eastern part of the country liberated by the Soviet Army. The Provisional Government established the next day declares war on Germany.
early April 1945
The Soviet army drives the Germans out of the country. Hungary's loss of human lives is about one million in World War II, and 40 per cent of the national wealth is destroyed.
November 1945
The Independent Smallholders' Party wins the parliamentary elections.
1 February 1946
Hungary becomes a republic, with Zoltán Tildy as the head of state.
10 February 1947
Hungary signs the Paris Peace Treaty, which restores the borders defined in the Trianon Peace Treaty, and Czechoslovakia gets a bridgehead (three villages) near Bratislava.
31 August 1947
In the "blue slip" elections the Communist party, which does not hasitate at fraud, gains the upper hand. The erosion of the opposition, the so-called "salami tactics" commences.
12 June 1948
In the "year of the turning point" the Communist and the Social Democratic parties unite, creating the Hungarian Working People's Party (Magyar Dolgozók Pártja - MDP). The other parties disappear. The plenipotentiary ruler of the country is Mátyás Rákosi, Secretary General of MDP and Prime Minister. The head of the Catholic Church, Cardinal Mindszenty is convicted in a show trial; plants employing over 10 persons are nationalised; a new Constitution is adopted; the forced collectivisation of agriculture commences. Some of the Communist cadres are also executed or imprisoned after show trials. The standard of living plummets, dissatisfaction increases.
20 August 1949
The Constitution of the People's Republic of Hungary comes into force.
4 July 1953
Upon the instructions of Moscow, Imre Nagy replaces Rákosi as Prime Minister, and the "adjustment" of errors commences. Imre Nagy is dismissed in April 1955 and is later expelled from the party.
23 October - 4 November 1956
Revolution and war of independence for the democratic transformation of domestic politics and for national independence. On 1 November Prime Minister Imre Nagy announces Hungary's secession from the Warsaw Pact. On 4 November János Kádár announces the establishment of the Workers' and Peasants' Revolutionary Government and calls in the Soviet troops. The revolution is put down, and the unprecedented bloodshed of the retaliation claims over two hundred lives; (general but not complete) amnesty is proclaimed only in 1963. Imre Nagy and his companions, who sought refuge at the Yugoslav embassy, then left it, are arrested, sentenced to death in 1958 and executed on 16 June.
19 March 1959
The Socialist restructuring of agriculture starts, and ends by 19 February 1961.
20-24 November 1962
The 8th Congress of Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP) declares that the laying down of the foundations of Socialism is completed.
27 May 1966
MSZMP KB (Central Committee) passes a resolution on the new economic mechanism.
21 August 1968
As a member of the Warsaw Pact, Hungary participates in the Soviet occupation of Czechoslovakia and in the suppression of the "Prague Spring". The introduction of the new economic mechanism suffers a setback.
6 January 1978
The United States of America returns the Holy Crown and the coronation insignia that were transferred to the U.S. after World War II.
14-16 June 1985
Meeting of the social opposition to "Socialism as it exists" at Monor.
27 September 1987
The Hungarian Democratic Forum (Magyar Demokrata Fórum) is established, which is converted into an independent social organisation in 1988.
30 March 1988
The Alliance of Young Democrats (Fiatal Demokraták Szövetsége - Fidesz) is established; the Alliance of Free Democrats (Szabaddemokraták Szövetsége - SZDSZ) is established on 13 November, and the Independent Smallholders' Party (Független Kisgazdapárt - FKGP) is re-established on 4 March 1989. The party conference of the MSZMP on 20-22 May 1988 releases János Kádár from the his duties as Secretary General. Miklós Németh becomes Prime Minister at the session of the National Assembly between 24-26 November.
23 March 1989
The Opposition Round Table is formed.
13 June - 18 September 1989
Political conciliation negotiations between the MSZMP, the Opposition Round Table and social agencies and movements (third side) on the creation of the political and legal conditions for peaceful transition and the creation of the democratic rule of law based on a multi-party system.
16 June 1989
On the anniversary of their execution, Imre Nagy and his fellow martyrs are re-buried. On 6 June János Kádár dies, and the period hallmarked by his name comes to a symbolic end.
10 September 1989
The Hungarian government opens the country's western borders to refugees from the German Democratic Republic. (In the autumn, the "iron curtain" separating the two world systems falls, Socialist regimes in Eastern and Central Europe fail one after the other.)
23 October 1989
The republic is proclaimed.
12 March - 30 June 1990
The Soviet troops leave the country.
25 March - 8 April 1990
The first free multi-party parliamentary elections, to be followed by the elections of 1994 and 1998. The new National Assemblies and the coalition governments formed after the elections commit themselves to the establishment and stabilisation of the political, economic and legal foundations of the systemic change.

Geographic Data

Hungary is located in Central Europe, in the Carpathian Basin surrounded by the Carpathians, the Alps and the Dinara Mountains, between northern latitudes of 45°44' and 48°35' and eastern longitudes of 16°07' and 22°54'. The territory of the country is 93,030 square kilometres, covering about 1 per cent of Europe.
The total length of the borders of the country is 2,216.8 kilometres, of which 655.1 kilometres is the common border with Slovakia, 136.6 kilometres is shared with the Ukraine, 448 kilometres with Romania, 621.1 kilometres with the successor states of Yugoslavia (165.8 kilometres with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, 355.3 km with Croatia and 100 km with Slovenia) and the border with Austria stretches on 356 kilometres.
Almost three quarters of the territory of the country is a low plain, one fifth is hilly with the maximum altitude of 400 metres, and approximately 5% of the total territory of the country is mountainous, altitudes varying between 400(1000 metres.
The highest peak in the country is the Peak of Kékes in the Mátra Hills, rising to 1014 metres. The lowest part of the country is located in the valley of the River Tisza, south of Szeged, in Gyálarét (78 metres). The Great Plain (Alföld) and the Small Plain (Kisalföld) are flat, the Zala and Somogy hills, the Tolna saddles in Transdanubia are hilly areas, while the mountains are represented by the Sopron and the Kőszeg mountains, the Mecsek, the Transdanubia and the Northern mountain ranges.

Climate

Hungary is situated in the temperate zone, on the borderline of, and affected by, three large climatic zones: oceanic, continental and Mediterranean. It is prone to rhapsodic weather changes and, due to the relative isolation of the Carpathian Basin, the climate has a tendency for droughts, especially on the Great Plain.
The annual average mean temperature is 9.7 °C in the whole of the country and 11.2 °C in Budapest. The mean temperature in the hottest month, July, is 20.0 °C, in the coldest month, January, 2.1 °C. On a hot summer day temperatures may reach 33-38 °C, while in cold winters temperature may drop to 25.0. -30.0 °C.
In the central part of the Great Plain the annual average rainfall varies between 470-550 mm, in the mountains, 700-800 mm. The number of days when the land is covered with snow is relatively few.
The number of hours of sunshine varies between 1700-2200 hours per year, the area between the rivers Danube and Tisza being the most sunny, while the regions with the least amount of sunshine are the Alpokalja (Lower Alps) and the Northern mountains.The annual average wind speed is 2.4 m/sec.

Flora and Fauna

12.3 % of the total territory of Hungary is covered by meadows and pasture-land and a further 18.7 is covered by forests (primarily deciduous forests).
Approximately 2,200 plant species and 45,000 animal species live in the territory of the country, the majority of which are Central European species, but there are some Northern, Eastern and South European elements as well.
535 plant and 855 animal species are protected. All caves in the territory of the country (altogether 3600) are protected, and 125 of those enjoy increased protection.
Among the protected flowers, the most unique species are the Mediterranean-type fragrant hellebore (Helleborus odorus) in the Mecsek mountains, the wild peony (Paeonia officinalis var. banatica), the pheasant's eye (Adonis vernalis L.) and the sage (Salvia nutans) on the Great Plain, and the meadow anemone (Pulsatilla pratensis ssp. hungarica) in the Nyírség, etc.
Hungarian forests are rich in roe-deer and wild boar, deer as well as foxes. (Hunting for wild game requires a license.) The lower parts and cultivated areas are home to rabbits and partridges, quails and pheasants. In spring and in autumn huge flocks move from north to south, then back, including storks and swallows, which spend the winter in Africa. Protected water birds include the aigrette (Egretta alba, in the Small Balaton and Lake Fertő), the bustard (Otis tarda, South Great Plain, Kiskunság, with the largest stock in Europe), the stilt (Himantopus himantopus), and the avocet (Recurvirostra avosetta, living in Lake Fehér near Szeged).
The rivers and lakes abound in fish, but fishing also requires a license. The carp is an autochthonous species; the wels catfish (Silurus glanis) is the largest fish, but there are many pikes, carp-breams and catfish too. The pike perch (fogas) of Lake Balaton is world famous. The eel, grass carp, silver and bighead carp have been introduced to Hungarian waters. Trout is available in large numbers in the artificial ponds in the Bükk hills (Szalajka valley).
Nine national parks, 38 national landscape conservation districts, 142 national conservation areas, 1 natural monument (Aggtelek-Rudabánya-Szendrő core sections) and 1125 regional conservation districts protected by local governments have been established in Hungary to date in order to safeguard the original habitat of the flora and fauna on altogether 816,008 hectares.

National Parks

The Hortobágy National Park (founded in 1972) - 80,549 hectares (of which 1285 hectares are under increased protection), representing the largest continuous alkaline plain of the Great Plain in the Tiszántúl. Since 1 December 1999 it has been part of the World Heritage. The most important sights include the famous cold-raised Hungarian grey cattle, racka (long-wool) sheep, Hungarian horses and buffalo, reminders of life on the puszta in ancient times.
Kiskunság National Park (1975) - 56,761 hectares (of which 12,457 hectares are under increased protection), consisting of various landscapes between the rivers Danube and Tisza. Its main claim to fame is the unique flora and fauna of the alkaline pusztas (plain) and sand dunes.
Bükk National Park (founded in 1976) - 43,130 hectares (of which 3774 hectares are under increased protection). It is the largest national park of the country with mountains and forests, situated in the Northern mountains, between Szilvásvárad and Lillafüred. The most important sighs include the various karst formations of the limestone mountains: caves that used to be inhabited by pre-historic men, swallow-holes, ravines.
Aggtelek National Park (1985) - 19,892 hectares (of which 3922 hectares are under increased protection), situated in North Hungary, in the Aggtelek karst region. It has been part of the World Heritage since 1995. The largest stalactite cave of Europe is situated in this area: the Baradla cave (26 km long, of which 8 km is in Slovakia, known under the name of Domica).
Fertő-Hanság National Park (founded in 1991) - 23,588 hectares (of which 7492 hectares are under increased protection), in West Hungary, alongside the Austrian border. It is famous for the unique plants, animals and cultural assets remaining from the one-time world of bogs and marshland.
Danube-Dráva National Park (founded in 1996) - 49,473 hectares (of which 14,123 hectares are under increased protection), situated in Southern Transdanubia on a long stretch alongside the Rivers Dráva and Danube. The most important sights are the natural resources related to rivers, including the game reserve in Gemenc forest.
Körös-Maros National Park (founded in 1997) - 50,134 hectares (of which 6411 hectares are under increased protection). Situated in the South-eastern part of the country, covering the water systems of the rivers Körös and Maros and stretching all the way to the Tisza. Notable features include the unique animal and plant species only found here in Hungary, such as the bustard, its largest European population located in Dévaványa (Békés County).
Upper Balaton National Park (founded in 1997) - 56,998 hectares (of which 11,134 hectares are under increased protection), situated in Transdanubia, covering the region on the northern shore of Lake Balaton, together with the natural preservation district of the Small Balaton, and unique geological features and landscapes.
Danube-Ipoly National Park (founded in 1997) - 60,314 hectares (of which 16,119 hectares are under increased protection), to the north of Budapest, covering the majority of the Pilis and Börzsöny mountains, between the Rivers Danube and Ipoly. The national park contains the picturesque Danube bend and the Szentendre island.
The tenth and eleventh national parks of the country will be opened in 2002, in in the Őrség in West Hungary, covering 30-40,000 hectares, and in the Nyírség (Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg County) on approximately 100,000 hectares.

National and Ethnic Groups

According to the data of the 1990 census, in Hungary 98.5 % of the population (10,222,529 persons) have Hungarian as their mother tongue, therefore the country can be considered as a single-language national state.
(More than 3 million Hungarians live over the borders of Hungary, in the neighbouring countries, since the Trianon Peace Treaty of 1920, the highest numbers living in Transylvania, which is part of Romania. Together with all the Hungarians living in other countries of the world, the number of Hungarians living abroad is estimated around five million.)
According to official census figures, the number of persons belonging to various national minorities in Hungary is relatively low. Organisations of national minorities quote higher figures than the census results; taking into consideration ancestry may be part of the explanation. According to such estimates, 200,000-220,000 ethnic Germans (37,511), 100,000-110,000 Slovaks (12,745), 80,000-90,000 Croats (17,577), 25,000 Romanians (8730), 5000 Serbs (2953) and 5000 Slovenes (2627) live in Hungary. The Polish minority numbers 10,000 persons, there are 3000 Greeks, 1500 Armenians, approximately 3000 Bulgarians, 6000 Rusins and 2000 Ukrainians in our country. According to estimates the Gypsy population without a native language has 400,000-600,000 members (142,683). (The data of the official census of 1990 on the use of mother tongue are included in brackets. The processing of the new data of the 2001 census is expected to be completed by the end of the year.)
The Constitution guarantees equal rights and the free use of the mother tongue to all national minorities; furthermore, on 7 July 1993 Parliament adopted an Act on the rights of national and ethnic minorities. The Office of National and Ethnic Minorities was established in 1990 to safeguard those rights.

Population

According the preliminary data, the decreasing Hungarian population reached 10 096 persons by the end of 2004. The mortality markedly exceeds the number of live births every year, though the two indicators have somewhat converged in the last years compared to the late 90-s. The life expectancy at birth rose by 1 years between 2000 and 2003, but the 77 (female) and 68 (male) years life expectancy is one of the lowest among the developed countries.

Public Administration

For public administration purposes, Hungary is divided into 19 counties and the capital city; Budapest is divided into 23 districts. Main public administration units: the capital city, counties, towns and villages. Amending the Act XXI of 1996, the Act XCII of 1999 divided Hungary into regions in accordance with the requirements of the European Union. Since then, Hungary has established seven planning statistical regions, which cover whole counties, and county and regional development councils have also been established.
Hungarian regions:
1. Central Hungary (Budapest and Pest County),
2. Central Transdanubia (Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom and Veszprém Counties),
3. Western Transdanubia (Győr-Moson-Sopron, Vas and Zala Counties),
4. Southern Transdanubia (Baranya, Somogy and Tolna Counties),
5. Northern Hungary (Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Heves and Nógrád Counties),
6. Northern Great Plain (Hajdú-Bihar, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg Counties)
7. Southern Great Plain (Bács-Kiskun, Békés and Csongrád Counties).
In addition to the 19 counties, Hungary also has 23 cities of county rank: the county seats and Sopron, Nagykanizsa, Dunaújváros and Hódmezővásárhely. The Act LXV of 1990, approved on 3 August, contains the most recent regulations on the rights and competence of public administration units. Budapest and its 23 districts are governed by a separate Act.

Religions

There are no census data about the denominational breakdown of the population for the period between1949-2000. Only the limited data, partly supplied by the Central Statistical Office, are available. The results of the February 2001 census concerning the denominational affiliation of the population will probably be published in 2002, after the completion of data processing.
Breakdown of the population by denomination (percentage)
Denomination 1930 1949 1992 1998
Roman Catholic 67.1 70.5 67.8 57.8
Calvinist 20.9 21.9 20.9 17.7
Lutheran 6.1 5.2 4.2 3.9
Jewish 5.1 1.5 n. a. 0.2
Other and unknown 0.7 0.7 2.2 1.9
No religion n. d. 0.1 4.8 18.5
n. d.=no data

Rivers and Lakes

Main rivers
The country is separated into two parts by the River Danube, the second largest river in Europe after the Volga and the main watercourse in Central Europe. Of its total length of 2,860 kilometres, 417 kilometres run across Hungary from the Northwest point of the country to the southern border below Mohács. (An approximately 140 km section of the river, between Rajka