Original scientific paper
THE POWER OF THE WEAK: POLITICAL PARTIES IN HUNGARY
Zsolt Enyedi
; Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
Gábor Tóka
; Central European University, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
The authors analyse the evolution and the strength of the political parties as actors in the processes of democratic transition and consolidation in Hungary. Their starting point is that the political parties in transitional countries are faced with the same rivals in the political arena as the parties in the West: powerful interest groups, the increasing market competition, the supranational media, and the state administration. The authors conclude that the parties in Hungary, though not as stable and as developed, are nevertheless dominant in shaping and controlling the political processes in that country. The reason for that primarily lies in the fact that the party system systematically generates very competitive elections, clear alternations of the parties in power, and a strong link between the electoral outcomes and the government composition. Being in the position to shape the contemporary political and social transformation of their countries, these political parties find themselves in an excellent position to sui generis set up party systems in their societies.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
24925
URI
Publication date:
4.6.2001.
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