Parliamentary and Presidential Elections in Hungary. Legal Aspects

Abstract

In Hungary, between the 80s and 90s, as in majority of Middle-East European countries, democratic changes of political system took place. They resulted in, inter alia , reforms of electoral system shaped on the German-like pattern. In the presented article the author analyses Hungarian election law, revealing regulations adopted in the Constitution and in the Act on the election relating to general and direct parliamentary elections as well as indirect presidential elections. Discussing the mode of single-house Hungarian parliament electing, it was described in details abiding mixed-member electoral system that combines majority and proportional system elements. Apart from deliberations on electoral law, a short presentation of the Parliament’s role in the system and its competences is also given. In a further part of the analysis, attention was also drawn to the President’s status within the political system. A precise review of all presidential rights and obligations was carried out as well as mode of choosing the president by the Parliament was followed. In the concluding section, the author summarized deliberations on Hungarian electoral law. By criticizing the complexity of that system he proved that despite its complexity it plays its role properly and vastly contributes to the stability of Hungarian democracy.