Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party

Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party
Magyar Szocialista Munkáspárt
General SecretaryJános Kádár (first)
Rezső Nyers (last)
Founded31 October 1956
Dissolved7 October 1989
Preceded byHungarian Working People's Party
Succeeded byHungarian Socialist Party
Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (1989)
HeadquartersBudapest, Hungarian People's Republic
NewspaperNépszabadság
Youth wingHungarian Young Communist League
Armed wingHungarian People's Army
Workers' Militia
IdeologyCommunism
Marxism–Leninism
Kádárism
National affiliationPatriotic People's Front
ColorsRed
MSZMP propaganda leaflet. The caption reads: "Long live the unbreakable unity of our party and our people!"

The Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (Hungarian: Magyar Szocialista Munkáspárt, pronounced [ˈmɒɟɒr ˈsot͡sijɒliʃtɒ ˈmuŋkaːʃpaːrt], MSZMP) was the ruling Marxist–Leninist[1] party of the Hungarian People's Republic between 1956 and 1989. It was organised from elements of the Hungarian Working People's Party during the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, with János Kádár as general secretary. The party also controlled its armed forces, the Hungarian People's Army.

Like all other Eastern Bloc parties, the MSZMP was organized on the basis of democratic centralism, a principle conceived by Vladimir Lenin that entails democratic and open discussion of issues within the party followed by the requirement of total unity in upholding the agreed policies. The highest body within the MSZMP was the party Congress, which convened every five years. When the Congress was not in session, the Central Committee of the MSZMP was the highest body. Because the Central Committee met twice a year, most day-to-day duties and responsibilities were vested in the Politburo. The party leader was the de facto chairman of the Politburo and a de facto chief executive of Hungary. At various points he served as the prime minister in addition to being party leader.

  1. ^ "Hungary - Ideology". country-data.com. Retrieved 4 April 2017.