Government of Hungary

The Government of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarország Kormánya) exercises executive power in Hungary.[1] It is led by the Prime Minister, and is composed of various ministers.[2] It is the principal organ of public administration. The Prime Minister (miniszterelnök) is elected by the National Assembly and serves as the head of government and exercises executive power. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party with the most seats in parliament. The Prime Minister selects Cabinet ministers and has the exclusive right to dismiss them. Cabinet nominees must appear before consultative open hearings before one or more parliamentary committees, survive a vote in the National Assembly, and be formally approved by the President. The cabinet is responsible to the parliament.

Since the fall of communism, Hungary has a multi-party system. A new Hungarian parliament was elected on 8 April 2018. This parliamentary election was the 8th since the 1990 first multi-party election. The result was a victory for FideszKDNP alliance, preserving its two-thirds majority with Viktor Orbán remaining Prime Minister. It was the second election according to the new Constitution of Hungary which went into force on 1 January 2012. The new electoral law also entered into force that day. The voters elected 199 MPs instead of previous 386 lawmakers.[3][4]

In 2023, there are increasing concerns over the commitment of the Hungarian government towards democratic values. Credible sources, including Freedom House[5] and the European Parliament,[6] claim Hungary is no longer a democratic country. Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his leading politicians openly use racist arguments,[7] making the normalization of right-wing extremism a valid concern in case of Hungary.[8] Voicing hate speech or discriminatory language against marginalized groups, including but not limited to those based on race, religion, or sexual orientation, especially when presented in a humorous context, is often socially accepted in Hungary.[9]

List of cabinets since 1989:

Governments of Hungary
Name of Government Duration of Government Prime minister Parties Involved
Németh November 24, 1988 – May 23, 1990 Miklós Németh (MSZP) MSZP
Antall May 23, 1990 – December 12, 1993 József Antall (MDF) MDF, FKgP, KDNP
Boross December 12, 1993 – December 21, 1993 Péter Boross (MDF) MDF, EKgP, KDNP
December 21, 1993 – July 15, 1994
Horn July 15, 1994 – July 6, 1998 Gyula Horn (MSZP) MSZP, SZDSZ
Orbán I July 6, 1998 – May 27, 2002 Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) Fidesz, FKgP, MDF
Medgyessy May 27, 2002 – September 29, 2004 Péter Medgyessy (Ind.) MSZP, SZDSZ
Gyurcsány I September 29, 2004 – June 9, 2006 Ferenc Gyurcsány (MSZP)
Gyurcsány II June 9, 2006 – April 14, 2009 Ferenc Gyurcsány (MSZP) MSZP, SZDSZ
Bajnai April 14, 2009 – May 29, 2010 Gordon Bajnai (Ind.) MSZP
Orbán II May 29, 2010 – June 6, 2014 Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) Fidesz, KDNP
Orbán III June 6, 2014 – May 18, 2018 Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) Fidesz, KDNP
Orbán IV May 18, 2018 – May 24, 2022 Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) Fidesz, KDNP
Orbán V May 24, 2022 – present Viktor Orbán (Fidesz) Fidesz, KDNP

Notes
Traditional colours
Hungarian Socialist Party (Magyar Szocialista Párt, MSZP)
Hungarian Democratic Forum (Magyar Demokrata Fórum, MDF)
Independent Smallholders, Agrarian Workers and Civic Party (Független Kisgazda-, Földmunkás- és Polgári Párt, FKgP)
United Smallholders' Party (Egyesült Történelmi Kisgazda és Polgári Párt, EKgP)
Christian Democratic People's Party (Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt, KDNP)
Alliance of Free Democrats (Szabad Demokraták Szövetsége, SZDSZ)
Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Alliance (Fidesz – Magyar Polgári Szövetség, Fidesz)
  1. ^ "Website of the Government of Hungary". Government of Hungary. Retrieved 8 December 2014.
  2. ^ "Fundamental Law of Hungary (Article 15)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2014-06-29. Retrieved 2014-12-08.
  3. ^ Az országgyűlési képviselők választásáról szóló 2011. évi CCIII. törvény. In.: Magyar Közlöny. 2011. évi, 165. sz., 41095-41099. p.
  4. ^ "Életbe lép az új választójogi törvény". Magyar Nemzet (in Hungarian). 29 December 2011. Archived from the original on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 2 January 2012.
  5. ^ Gehrke, Laurenz. "Hungary no longer a democracy, Freedom House says". POLITICO. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  6. ^ "MEPs: Hungary can no longer be considered a full democracy | News | European Parliament". www.europarl.europa.eu. 2022-09-15. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  7. ^ RFE/RL. "European Parliament Leaders Condemn Orban For 'Openly Racist' Remarks". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  8. ^ "Antisemitic and Racist Statements by Hungarian Political Leaders" (PDF). human rights first. December 2015. Retrieved 2023-03-17.
  9. ^ Bekesi, Aron B. (2023). "The Paradox of Anti-Democratic Arguments: aDefense of Democratic Principles in Debates". Science & Philosophy. 11 (2): 94.