The Hungarian Parliament 1990-2010. Functions and development trends

Abstract

The screen-play for the new, democratic political regime in 1989 has casted the main character to the newly elected Parliament. This actor improvised a lot, being short of time to learn its role – although traditions of national parliamentary politics since at least 1867, western democratic experiences, and also the newly „democratized“ Constitution and standing orders gave instructions. The historic and international models and standards were overshadowed by the possibility of reshaping its own role – amending sometimes the Constitution, sometimes the Standing Orders. Often even qualified majority requirements haven’t raise difficulties in that sense. The starring and stubborn Parliament was restricted only by professional warnings of the Constitutional Court and by the votes of the public ‘audience’. This paper introduces and evaluates the 20-years performance of the Hungarian National Assembly in this special casting. We will outline the development and trends of the parliamentary law, political composition and functions of the Parliament. Even if a ‘new system’ or only a new chapter of Hungarian political history begins at the elections of 2010 – as some promise, some fear –, this 20-years-long ‘history’ is needed and supposed to be resumed.