Local Government Elections in Hungary

In the spring of 2024, two elections will be held in Hungary: the European Parliament election and the local government election. Previously, there was a six-month gap between the two elections, but the ruling party in Parliament has amended the law to hold them on the same day, citing cost savings as the reason. However, analysts believe that this move could strengthen the ruling parties in both local governments and the European Parliament.

Structure of the Hungarian Local Government System:

The Hungarian local government system is multi-level:

Capital City Government (1):Budapest has a special government structure, divided into district and capital city levels.
County Seats and Larger Cities (23): The governments of these cities are headed by mayors.
Cities (327): These are municipalities with city status.
Villages (2810):These are all other municipalities.
County Governments (19): These are the territorial governments of each county, with a coordinating and balancing role.

Current Political Landscape:

Fidesz-KDNP (ruling parties):Dominate the local government landscape, with a majority in most municipalities.
DK-MSZP-Párbeszéd (opposition coalition): The main opposition force, with a significant presence in Budapest and some larger cities.
Momentum Movement: A growing opposition party, with a strong presence in Budapest and some other cities.
Jobbik: A far-right party, with a smaller presence in local governments.
Mi Hazánk Mozgalom: Another far-right party, with a small but growing presence.
Independent candidates: Have a limited chance of winning, but can play a role in some municipalities.

tasks of Local Governments in Hungary

Manage local public affairs according to their own ideas.
Provide public services, such as local transportation, utilities, education, social care, culture, and environmental protection.
Own and manage their own assets and budget.
Enact local legislation in the form of ordinances.

The government has established Government Offices alongside the local government system to exercise certain professional authority.
The local governments elected in 2019 will be in office until October 2024, but the 2024 elections will be held on June 9, meaning that the elected local government representatives will not be able to take office until October 1.
Holding the European Parliament elections on the same day could increase the turnout for the European Parliament elections, which has always been lower than the turnout for local government elections.
Parties that are currently in the minority in Parliament or are not yet parliamentary parties may be at a disadvantage due to their smaller size and lower mobilization capacity, as they have less time to prepare for the local government elections, which were originally scheduled for October.

Key Issues:

Centralization of power:The government has been accused of centralizing power and taking away tasks and resources from local governments.
Limited autonomy: Local governments have limited independence and decision-making freedom.
Party influence: Parties have too much influence on local governments, and party political interests often take precedence over local issues.
Corruption: Corruption scandals have occurred in some municipalities, undermining public trust in local leadership.
Inefficiency: Some local governments are inefficient, with slow and cumbersome bureaucracy.
Low quality of services: The quality of local services is not uniform everywhere and can lag behind the needs of the population.
Unfair electoral system: The electoral system is not proportional, disadvantaging smaller parties.
Weak local democracy: Local democracy is weak, and public involvement in decision-making is inadequate.
Underrepresentation of Roma: The Roma minority is underrepresented in local governments.

The Hungarian local government system is in need of reform to improve its efficiency and strengthen local democracy. This could include increasing the autonomy and decision-making freedom of local governments, reducing the influence of parties, strengthening anti-corruption measures, improving the quality of local services, strengthening local democracy, and involving the public in decision-making.

This summary is not exhaustive and does not necessarily reflect all possible viewpoints on the Hungarian local government system.