The Hungarian socialists in opposition: Stagnation or renaissance

Europe - Asia Studies

Volumn 52, Issue 2, 2000, Pages 319-

  Racz, Barnabas ^a  

^a EASTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY   (United States)

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[No Author keywords available]

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EID: 0007471057     PISSN: 09668136     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/09668130050006817     Document Type: Article

References (102)

1. Hungarian Socialist Workers Party, HSWP, in Hungarian Magyar Szocialista Munkáspárt (MSZMP).
2. Council of Mutual Economic Assistance, Warsaw Treaty Organisation.
3. In Hungarian, Magyar Szocialista Párt (MSZP); consult Mihály Bihari, 'Két Kongresszus Magyarországon' (Two Congresses in Hungary), Társadalmi Szemle, 1990, 1, pp. 19-30; also Rudolf Tökés, Hungary's Negotiated Revolution (Cambridge University Press, 1996), pp. 347-356.
4. In Hungarian, Magyar Szocialista Párt (MSZP); consult Mihály Bihari, 'Két Kongresszus Magyarországon' (Two Congresses in Hungary), Társadalmi Szemle, 1990, 1, pp. 19-30; also Rudolf Tökés, Hungary's Negotiated Revolution (Cambridge University Press, 1996), pp. 347-356.
5. In Hungarian, Magyar Szocialista Párt (MSZP); consult Mihály Bihari, 'Két Kongresszus Magyarországon' (Two Congresses in Hungary), Társadalmi Szemle, 1990, 1, pp. 19-30; also Rudolf Tökés, Hungary's Negotiated Revolution (Cambridge University Press, 1996), pp. 347-356.
6. E.g., Magyar Nemzet, 10 April 1990; RFE Research, 6 April 1990, pp. 24-25; The Ann Arbor News, 9 April 1990; The New York Times, 9 April 1990, p. 23.
7. E.g., Magyar Nemzet, 10 April 1990; RFE Research, 6 April 1990, pp. 24-25; The Ann Arbor News, 9 April 1990; The New York Times, 9 April 1990, p. 23.
8. E.g., Magyar Nemzet, 10 April 1990; RFE Research, 6 April 1990, pp. 24-25; The Ann Arbor News, 9 April 1990; The New York Times, 9 April 1990, p. 23.
9. E.g., Magyar Nemzet, 10 April 1990; RFE Research, 6 April 1990, pp. 24-25; The Ann Arbor News, 9 April 1990; The New York Times, 9 April 1990, p. 23.
10. The other major parliamentary parties in 1990 were the Hungarian Democratic forum (HDF), Alliance of Free Democrats (AFD), Independent Smallholders and Citizens Party (ISP), Alliance of Young Democrats (AYD) also called Fidesz, Christian Democratic People's Party (CDPP), Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (HSWP), Hungarian Social Democratic Party (SDP), Agrarian Alliance (AA). See Table 1.
11. Bihari, 'Két Kongresszus Magyarországon'; HSP Election Programme, Néspzabadsá, 3 February 1990, pp. 23-36.
12. Bihari, 'Két Kongresszus Magyarországon'; HSP Election Programme, Néspzabadsá, 3 February 1990, pp. 23-36.
13. Party Communiqué, Népszabadság, 26 April 1990; see also press reports, Magyar Nemzet, 26 April and 21 May 1990.
14. Party Communiqué, Népszabadság, 26 April 1990; see also press reports, Magyar Nemzet, 26 April and 21 May 1990.
15. Consult Barnabas Racz, 'The Socialist-Left Opposition in Post-Communist Hungary', Europe-Asia Studies, 45, 4, 1993, pp. 647-670; see also Gábor Toka, 'Parties and their Voters in 1990 and 1994', in Béla Király (ed.), Lawful Revolution in Hungary 1989-94 (New York, Atlantic Research and Columbia University Press, 1995), pp. 131-157.
16. Consult Barnabas Racz, 'The Socialist-Left Opposition in Post-Communist Hungary', Europe-Asia Studies, 45, 4, 1993, pp. 647-670; see also Gábor Toka, 'Parties and their Voters in 1990 and 1994', in Béla Király (ed.), Lawful Revolution in Hungary 1989-94 (New York, Atlantic Research and Columbia University Press, 1995), pp. 131-157.
17. Racz, 'The Socialist-Left Opposition', pp. 660-663; see also Orsza ́ggyülési Jegyzökönyv (Parliamentary Minutes), 10 December 1991, p. 4325.
18. Racz, 'The Socialist-Left Opposition', pp. 660-663; see also Orsza ́ggyülési Jegyzökönyv (Parliamentary Minutes), 10 December 1991, p. 4325.
19. Consult György Csepeli & Antal Örkény, Ideology and Political Beliefs in Hungary - The Twilight of State Socialism (London and New York, Pinter Publishers, 1992).
20. For summary criticism of the HSP as 'former communists', see E. Oltay, 'Former Communists Win the First Round of Hungarian Elections', RFE Research, 27 May 1994, pp. 1-5; and also E. Oltay, 'The Former Communists' Election Victory in Hungary', RFE Research, 24 June 1994, pp. 1-6.
21. For summary criticism of the HSP as 'former communists', see E. Oltay, 'Former Communists Win the First Round of Hungarian Elections', RFE Research, 27 May 1994, pp. 1-5; and also E. Oltay, 'The Former Communists' Election Victory in Hungary', RFE Research, 24 June 1994, pp. 1-6.
22. The preliminary HSP political document stressed that entitlement programmes would continue and promised to defend welfare institutions, 'A modern demokratikus Magyarországért' (For the Modern Democratic Hungary), Két Hét, 1993, 24 (December), pp. 8-9.
23. Consult Michael Laven & Norman Schofield, Multi-party Government - The Politics of Coalition in Europe (Oxford University Press, 1990), and Ian Budge & Hans Keman, Parties and Democracy - Coalition Formation and Government Functioning in Twenty States (Oxford University Press, 1990).
24. Consult Michael Laven & Norman Schofield, Multi-party Government - The Politics of Coalition in Europe (Oxford University Press, 1990), and Ian Budge & Hans Keman, Parties and Democracy - Coalition Formation and Government Functioning in Twenty States (Oxford University Press, 1990).
25. It surpasses the 'proto-coalition' for preliminary election cooperation as well as the 'electoral alliance' type; see Attila Ágh, 'Koaliciós kormány-Európai tapasztalatok' (Coalition Government -European Experiences), Társadalmi Szemle, 1994, 6, pp. 19-31.
26. The IV HSP Congress at Miskolc City, on 24-26 November 1995, devoted a separate panel, No.3, to this issue. Imre Szekeres, parliamentary faction leader, proposed a new committee for coordination but the motion was not adopted (information based on author's presence at the meeting).
27. Iván Vitányi, leader of the social democratic platform in the HSP, expressed the view that the introduction of the stabilisation package was 'too sudden and too harsh'; personal interview, October 1998.
28. János Kornai, 'The Dilemmas of Hungarian Economic Policy', in Király (ed.), Lawful Revolution in Hungary, pp. 323-350.
29. See Finance Minister L. Bokros's and Horn's statements about Hungarians living beyond their means, Népszabadság, 16 March 1994, 2 May 1995.
30. See Kornai, 'The Dilemmas of Hungarian Economic Policy', p. 340; the same view was essentially underscored by Horn in a personal interview with author, October, 1998.
31. See László Lengyel, 'Tigris a fán' (Tiger on the Tree), Nêpszabadság, 1 November 1997. The HDF split into two parties and the seceding Hungarian Democratic People's Party (HDPP) was represented in Parliament in 1997 but unlikely to gain 5% in the 1998 elections; the CDPP, having expelled most of its parliamentary representatives from the party, faced an uncertain future and was likely to become a satellite of the ISP; this occurred in 1998.
32. Szonda-Ipsos survey, Népszabadság, 1 October 1997. The successful capturing of uncommitted voters held the key to the prospective re-alignment of parliamentary forces. On the top of the extra-parliamentary parties was the Workers' party; the labour organisations, especially the NFHU, have important left links; for a list of non-parliamentary parties see Barnabas Racz & Istvan Kukorelli, 'The Second-generation Post-communist Elections in Hungary in 1994', Europe-Asia Studies, 47, 2, 1995, pp. 251-279.
33. Szonda-Ipsos survey, Népszabadság, 1 October 1997. The successful capturing of uncommitted voters held the key to the prospective re-alignment of parliamentary forces. On the top of the extra-parliamentary parties was the Workers' party; the labour organisations, especially the NFHU, have important left links; for a list of non-parliamentary parties see Barnabas Racz & Istvan Kukorelli, 'The Second-generation Post-communist Elections in Hungary in 1994', Europe-Asia Studies, 47, 2, 1995, pp. 251-279.
34. A Magyar Szocialista Párt Alapszabálya (The By-Laws of the Hungarian Socialist Party), published by the HSP (Budapest, Mediant, 1996).
35. In 1997 there were 154 members from the territorial units and 72 invited, making the body 226 in size; information from HSP parliamentary advisers, October 1997.
36. Interview with Zoltán Gál, President of Parliament, October 1997.
37. See the final section of this article.
38. The main identifiable intra-party factions in 1997 and 1998 were the Social Democratic Alliance, the Socialist Faction, the Leftist Platform and the Left Youth Association (BIT). At party proceedings these factions operate openly and they also exert internal pressures.
39. Statement by HSP Left Platform leader Sándor Balogh, Népszabadság, 14 October 1997.
40. See interview with sociologist Erzsébet Szalai, 'Érdekeinkért is felelösek vagyunk' (We Are Responsible for our Interests), Kritika, October 1997, pp. 27-29.
41. Ferenc Gazsó, 'Volt egyszer egy állampárt' (There was once a state-party), Társadalmi Szemle, 1996, 11, pp. 3-13.
42. Consult Iván Völgyes, Politics in Eastern Europe (Chicago, The Dorsey Press, 1986) pp. 112, 285-307.
43. György Csáki, 'A Horn-Kormány gazdaság politikája 1994-98' (The Economic Policy of the Horn-administration 1994-98), Társadalmi Szemle, 1998, 8-9, pp. 35-47. For opposition criticism see Gyula Tellér, 'Protézis es Gerinctámasz', Magyar Nemzet, 15 October 1998.
44. György Csáki, 'A Horn-Kormány gazdaság politikája 1994-98' (The Economic Policy of the Horn-administration 1994-98), Társadalmi Szemle, 1998, 8-9, pp. 35-47. For opposition criticism see Gyula Tellér, 'Protézis es Gerinctámasz', Magyar Nemzet, 15 October 1998.
45. See Lengyel, 'Tigris a fán'.
46. Népszabadság, 29 May 1998, p. 12; also author's personal interview with Iván Vitányi, October 1998.
47. Iván Vitányi et al. (eds), Szociáldemokrata Charta, internal document of HSP (Budapest, Szelén Kiado, 1998), pp. 27, 36-37.
48. In personal interviews with the author in October 1998, Iván Vitányi and György Földes, the new Chairman of the national committee, did not question the democratic nature of the party generally, only the leadership.
49. Public opinion data by Szonda-Ipsos, reported in Népszabadság, 8 February 1997.
50. Statement by President István Csurka, Hungarian Justice and Life Party (HJLP), in Hungarian Magyar Igazság es Élet Párt (MIÉP), Népszabadság, 24 March 1997.
51. For Horn's statement, see Népszabadság, 1 April 1997. For the anti-government offensive of various agricultural groups see press reports, especially Népszabadság, Magyar Nemzet and Szabadság, during February, March and April 1997.
52. For Horn's statement, see Népszabadság, 1 April 1997. For the anti-government offensive of various agricultural groups see press reports, especially Népszabadság, Magyar Nemzet and Szabadság, during February, March and April 1997.
53. Szonda-Ipsos poll, Népszabadság, March 1997.
54. See note 10.
55. The NATO Madrid Conference in July 1997 extended invitations to the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland.
56. The Wall Street Journal, 16 July 1997.
57. Lengyel, 'Tigris a fán'.
58. The programme was adopted by the HSP on 7 March and published in Népszabadság, 30 April 1998.
59. Surveys by Szonda-Ipsos Marketing Centrum, Median and Tarki, Népszabadság, 30 April 1998.
60. Ferenc Gazsó, A Szocialista Párt eś a parlamenti választások (The Socialist Party and the Parliamentary Elections), Internal HSP working document, 7 June 1998.
61. Népszabadság, 9 January 1998, p. 13.
62. Népszabadsag, 23 January and 14 February 1998.
63. For an assessment of the campaign see György Földes, Rendszer-hatalom és a baloldal Magyaroszágon 1994 után (Power and the Left in Hungary after 1994) (Budapest, Napvilág Kiadó, 1998), pp. 62-83.
64. Vitányi et al. (eds), Szociáldemokrata Charta, pp. 35-37.
65. For election results see press reports in Magyar Nemzet and Népszabadság, 25-30 May 1998.
66. Laven & Schofield, Multi-party Government - The Politics of Coalition in Europe.
67. Barnabas Racz, 'Political Pluralisation in Hungary: the 1990 Elections', Soviet Studies, 43, 1, 1991, pp. 107-136.
68. Statement by Zoltán Gál, former president of Parliament, Népszabadság, 4 August 1998, p. 9.
69. These views appear in Gazsó, A Szocialista Párt és a Parlamenti Választások; Földes, Rendszer-Hatalom; and Vitányi et al. (eds), Szociáldemokrata Charta.
70. These views appear in Gazsó, A Szocialista Párt és a Parlamenti Választások; Földes, Rendszer-Hatalom; and Vitányi et al. (eds), Szociáldemokrata Charta.
71. These views appear in Gazsó, A Szocialista Párt és a Parlamenti Választások; Földes, Rendszer-Hatalom; and Vitányi et al. (eds), Szociáldemokrata Charta.
72. See Csáki, 'A Horn-Kormány gazdaság politikája 1994-98'.
73. Zsuzsa Ferge, 'Egy mitosz társadalmi ara: Nemzetközi paradigmaváltás és a magyar szociál-politika' (The Social Price of a Myth: International Paradigm Change and Hungarian Social Policy), Társadalmi Szemle, 1998, 8-9, pp. 74-92.
74. Földes, Rendszer-Hatalom, pp. 41-62.
75. Vitányi et al. (eds), Szociáldemokrata Charta, pp. 25-38.
76. Racz & Kukorelli, 'The Second-Generation Post-Communist Elections in Hungary in 1994'.
77. For press report of the party congress see Népszabadság, 7 September 1998, pp. 1 and 4.
78. Interviews with party leaders, October 1998.
79. Personal consultation with Zoltán Gál, member of the presidency, October 1998.
80. Gazsó, A Szocialista Párt és a Parlamenti Választások, pp. 11-19.
81. See joint study by the Academy of Sciences and the Left Youth Association (BIT) indicating political indifference in the young population and somewhat more preference for the (far) right, Katalin Domján, 'Az Ifjuság Jävöképe' (The Future Image of the Young), Népszabadság, 4 March 1997, p. 8.
82. Földes, Rendszer-Hatalom, p. 97; and Gazsó, A Szocialista Párt és a Parlamenti Választások pp. 11-19.
83. Földes, Rendszer-Hatalom, p. 97; and Gazsó, A Szocialista Párt és a Parlamenti Választások pp. 11-19.
84. Vitányi et al. (eds), Szociáldemokrata Charta., pp. 99-100.
85. Michelle Mitchell, A New Kind of Party Animal - How the Young Are Tearing Up the American Political Landscape (New York, Simon & Schuster, 1998).
86. Földes, Rendszer-Hatalom, pp. 96-97.
87. Author's interview with Iván Vitányi: 'The HSP ought to have its own model', October 1998.
88. László Kovács, party president, Népszabadság, 29 June 1998; R. Hahn Veronika, 'Harmadik Ut a Downing Streeten' (Third Way in Downing Street), Népszabadság, 10 October 1998, p. 23.
89. László Kovács, party president, Népszabadság, 29 June 1998; R. Hahn Veronika, 'Harmadik Ut a Downing Streeten' (Third Way in Downing Street), Népszabadság, 10 October 1998, p. 23.
90. Vitányi et al. (eds), Szociáldemokrata Charta, p. 96.
91. Interview statement by Zoltán Gál, in charge of the by-laws reform task force.
92. At the time of writing there seems to be no candidate for the presidential post beyond László Kovács.
93. Statement by Iván Vitányi, Népszabadság, 13 November 1998, p. 8.
94. Author's interviews with members of the HSP presidency. Horn also expressed the possibility of ISP ties but the HSP disavowed the idea.
95. The socialists are sitting on the fence about cooperation with the communist WP.
96. The key points are the termination of the social insurance funds' self-government (see press reports, especially Magyar Nemzet and Népszabadság, 8 July 1998); the organisation of the Prime Minister's Chancellery (20 July 1998); insolent diplomatic statements on NATO and the EU (25 July 1998); the reduction of pensions legally approved under the previous government (17 October 1998), the unilateral changing of the parliamentary procedural order (2 December 1998); the termination of the No. 4 metro construction contracts in Budapest (6 November 1998); by-passing parliamentary committees on the budget bill (15 September 1998), 'positive discrimination' requested for the government in media control (9 November 1998).
97. Szonda-Ipsos surveys in December show Fidesz support at 43% and HSP at 39%. Népszabadság, 18 December 1998, p. 1. In April 1999 the respective data show the Fidesz with 41% and the HSP with 40%. Népszabadság, 2 April 1999. The numbers are based on the active voting population with definite party preferences.
98. Szonda-Ipsos surveys in December show Fidesz support at 43% and HSP at 39%. Népszabadság, 18 December 1998, p. 1. In April 1999 the respective data show the Fidesz with 41% and the HSP with 40%. Népszabadság, 2 April 1999. The numbers are based on the active voting population with definite party preferences.
99. Only the AYD-CP but not the coalition partners ISP and HDF enjoys proportionately stronger youth support.
100. Various references by Pope John II; George Soros, 'The Capitalist Threat', Atlantic Monthly, No. 279, February 1997, pp. 45-48; Serge Latouche, 'A Megagepezet es a tarsadalmi kapcsolatok szetzuzasa' (The Mega-machinery and the Destruction of Societal Connections), Eszmelet, 27, 2, 1994, pp. 73-89; Jacques Attali, 'The Crash of Western Civilization: The Limits of Market and Democracy', Foreign Policy, 1997, 2, pp. 54-64.
101. Various references by Pope John II; George Soros, 'The Capitalist Threat', Atlantic Monthly, No. 279, February 1997, pp. 45-48; Serge Latouche, 'A Megagepezet es a tarsadalmi kapcsolatok szetzuzasa' (The Mega-machinery and the Destruction of Societal Connections), Eszmelet, 27, 2, 1994, pp. 73-89; Jacques Attali, 'The Crash of Western Civilization: The Limits of Market and Democracy', Foreign Policy, 1997, 2, pp. 54-64.
102. Various references by Pope John II; George Soros, 'The Capitalist Threat', Atlantic Monthly, No. 279, February 1997, pp. 45-48; Serge Latouche, 'A Megagepezet es a tarsadalmi kapcsolatok szetzuzasa' (The Mega-machinery and the Destruction of Societal Connections), Eszmelet, 27, 2, 1994, pp. 73-89; Jacques Attali, 'The Crash of Western Civilization: The Limits of Market and Democracy', Foreign Policy, 1997, 2, pp. 54-64.