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Civil Society, Social Movements and Political Participation in Hungary

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Politics and Society in Hungary

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Abstract

First, the article shows that the concept of Hungarian civil society is historically mainly linked to emancipation and modernization movements. It then provides information on the rules and trends of political and social participation since the system change, which was characterized by a lack of participation. In an analysis of the new trends since the parliamentary elections in 2010, it becomes clear that civil society engagement has the potential to counteract the democratic setbacks in Hungary. Under the Fidesz-KDNP government, attempts were made to politically control NGOs through the new regulation of state financing as well as to restrict government-critical “watchdog” organizations and foreign financing. Civil society engagement has nevertheless received new impulses and developed in a variety of ways since 2010. In order to classify the different forms of social and political participation, an independently developed typology is used.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    But as Elemér Hankiss (1988, p. 39) noted, the shadow economy and the second society supplemented the official society because they fed additional resources into the system and satisfied special needs.

  2. 2.

    This states in Article 21: “The right to peaceful assembly is recognized. The exercise of this right shall not be subject to any restrictions other than those provided for by law and which are necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national or public security, public order (ordre public), the protection of public health or morals or the protection of the rights and freedoms of others.” (United Nations 1966, p. 8).

  3. 3.

    Not In My Backyard.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Republikon Institute Budapest and Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary

    Dániel Mikecz

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  1. Dániel Mikecz
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Correspondence to Dániel Mikecz .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lehrstuhl für Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft, Andrássy Universität Budapest, Budapest, Hungary

    Ellen Bos

  2. Institut für Politikwissenschaft, Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Sachsen, Germany

    Astrid Lorenz

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Mikecz, D. (2023). Civil Society, Social Movements and Political Participation in Hungary. In: Bos, E., Lorenz, A. (eds) Politics and Society in Hungary. Springer, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-39826-2_7

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