Prologue
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Where Eastern Bloc countries such as Poland or Czechoslovakia had strong opposition movements lead by charismatic figures, Hungary had a gaggle of competing circles of intellectuals. As really existing socialism became increasingly untenable, the task of reform fell to the Hungarian Communists themselves. The Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP) had increasingly fallen under the sway of reformist figures like Imre Pozsgay, Miklos Németh, and Rezső Nyers, who initiated the transition towards a market economy and a multi-party system by opening round table talks with democratic opposition groups. While some of these, like the liberals of the Alliance of Free Democrats and the Alliance of Young Democrats, the conservative Independent Smallholders' Party or the Social Democrats were more radically anti-communist, others such as the national-populist Democratic Forum (which was the most prominent opposition movement) and the Christian Democratic People's Party were more conciliatory towards the reform Communists who now controlled the MSZMP. This difference would soon manifest itself over the course of the Round Table, as the opposition became increasingly split on the question of electing a new President. In the hopes that its likely candidate, Imre Pozsgay, would win, the MSZMP had proposed to directly elect a President prior to free parliamentary elections. While the Democratic Forum was inclined to agree to this, as it did not see Pozsgay as a threat to the fledgling democracy, the more radical, liberal opposition factions refused to agree to such an option, fearing their own marginalisation under a 'grand coalition'. Using the new popular initiative law, they forced a referendum on whether the President should be elected before or after parliamentary elections, as well as on whether the MSZMP should have to account for all of its properties, the dissolution of the Workers' Militia, and the banning of MSZMP organisations in workplaces. Following a short campaign in which the liberals, the Smallholders and the Social Democrats engaged in ever more radical anti-communist rhetoric which increasingly also targeted the Democratic Forum, the latter three questions passed overwhelmingly by margins of 95% or more, but the most important question regarding the presidential election returned a result of 50.1% in favour of electing the president before parliamentary elections. As it was too late to hold direct elections, Pozsgay was instead easily elected by the National Assembly.
In the last months of 1989, the MSZMP formally dissolved itself, with its reformist and moderate elements forming the Hungarian Socialist Party, led by Rezső Nyers. Subsequently, free parliamentary elections were called for the 25th of March, 1990. The new Socialists and the Democratic Forum, while weakened by the brutal referendum campaign, went into them as the frontrunners backed by the authority of President Pozsgay. While the other opposition parties attacked them viciously, the result was a foregone conclusion – the Socialists and the Democratic Forum held a large majority between them, and despite some grumbling from certain Forum members, the two went into coalition, ready to lead Hungary into a new era.
Results of the 25 March/8 April 1990 Hungarian parliamentary election:
Hungarian Socialist Party: 22.0%, 133 seats
Hungarian Democratic Forum: 20.9%, 93 seats
Alliance of Free Democrats: 14.8%, 60 seats
Independent Smallholders' Party: 11.6%, 44 seats
Alliance of Young Democrats: 8.7%, 22 seats
Christian Democratic People's Party: 6.2%, 20 seats
Hungarian Social Democratic Party: 4.1%, 12 seats
Agrarian Alliance: 3.1%, 2 seats
heat yes
Prologue
Where Eastern Bloc countries such as Poland or Czechoslovakia had strong opposition movements lead by charismatic figures, Hungary had a gaggle of competing circles of intellectuals. As really existing socialism became increasingly untenable, the task of reform fell to the Hungarian Communists themselves. The Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP) had increasingly fallen under the sway of reformist figures like Imre Pozsgay, Miklos Németh, and Rezső Nyers, who initiated the transition towards a market economy and a multi-party system by opening round table talks with democratic opposition groups. While some of these, like the liberals of the Alliance of Free Democrats and the Alliance of Young Democrats, the conservative Independent Smallholders' Party or the Social Democrats were more radically anti-communist, others such as the national-populist Democratic Forum (which was the most prominent opposition movement) and the Christian Democratic People's Party were more conciliatory towards the reform Communists who now controlled the MSZMP. This difference would soon manifest itself over the course of the Round Table, as the opposition became increasingly split on the question of electing a new President. In the hopes that its likely candidate, Imre Pozsgay, would win, the MSZMP had proposed to directly elect a President prior to free parliamentary elections. While the Democratic Forum was inclined to agree to this, as it did not see Pozsgay as a threat to the fledgling democracy, the more radical, liberal opposition factions refused to agree to such an option, fearing their own marginalisation under a 'grand coalition'. Using the new popular initiative law, they forced a referendum on whether the President should be elected before or after parliamentary elections, as well as on whether the MSZMP should have to account for all of its properties, the dissolution of the Workers' Militia, and the banning of MSZMP organisations in workplaces. Following a short campaign in which the liberals, the Smallholders and the Social Democrats engaged in ever more radical anti-communist rhetoric which increasingly also targeted the Democratic Forum, the latter three questions passed overwhelmingly by margins of 95% or more, but the most important question regarding the presidential election returned a result of 50.1% in favour of electing the president before parliamentary elections. As it was too late to hold direct elections, Pozsgay was instead easily elected by the National Assembly.
In the last months of 1989, the MSZMP formally dissolved itself, with its reformist and moderate elements forming the Hungarian Socialist Party, led by Rezső Nyers. Subsequently, free parliamentary elections were called for the 25th of March, 1990. The new Socialists and the Democratic Forum, while weakened by the brutal referendum campaign, went into them as the frontrunners backed by the authority of President Pozsgay. While the other opposition parties attacked them viciously, the result was a foregone conclusion – the Socialists and the Democratic Forum held a large majority between them, and despite some grumbling from certain Forum members, the two went into coalition, ready to lead Hungary into a new era.
Results of the 25 March/8 April 1990 Hungarian parliamentary election:
Hungarian Socialist Party: 22.0%, 133 seats
Hungarian Democratic Forum: 20.9%, 93 seats
Alliance of Free Democrats: 14.8%, 60 seats
Independent Smallholders' Party: 11.6%, 44 seats
Alliance of Young Democrats: 8.7%, 22 seats
Christian Democratic People's Party: 6.2%, 20 seats
Hungarian Social Democratic Party: 4.1%, 12 seats
Agrarian Alliance: 3.1%, 2 seats
