Hungarian parliamentary election, 1994

Hungarian parliamentary election, 1994

8 and 29 May 1994

All 386 seats in the National Assembly 194 seats needed for a majority Turnout 68.9%   First party Second party Third party   Leader Gyula Horn Iván Pető Lajos Für Party MSZP SZDSZ MDF Leader since 27 May 1990 13 November 1992 19 February 1994 Last election 33 seats, 10.1% 94 seats, 21.40% 165 seats, 24.72% Seats won 209 69 38 Seat change 176 25 127 Popular vote 1,781,867 1,066,074 633,957 Percentage 33.0% 19.7% 11.7%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader József Torgyán Viktor Orbán László Surján Party FKGP Fidesz KDNP Leader since 26 April 1991 18 April 1993 27 May 1990 Last election 44 seats, 11.74% 22 seats, 8.95% 21 seats, 6.46% Seats won 26 20 22 Seat change 18 2 1 Popular vote 476,416 379,295 379.573 Percentage 8.8% 7.0% 7.0%

Results of SMCs

Prime Minister before election Péter Boross MDF Elected Prime Minister Gyula Horn MSZP

Parliamentary elections were held in Hungary on 8 May 1994, with a second round of voting in 174 of the 176 single member constituencies on 29 May.^[1][2] They resulted in the return to power of the Hungarian Socialist Party, the former Communist party, under the leadership of Gyula Horn, who became Prime Minister. The Socialists achieved a remarkable revival, winning an overall majority of 209 seats out of 386, up from 33 in 1990. At the time, it was the most seats that a Hungarian party had ever won in a free election.

The governing Hungarian Democratic Forum was severely defeated, falling from 165 seats to 38 for third place. It was also a disappointment for the principal opposition party of the previous parliament, the Alliance of Free Democrats, which failed to capitalize on the government's unpopularity and lost seats. Poor economic performance, apparent government incompetence and a certain nostalgia for the social security of the communist era appear to be the main reasons for the result, together with significant reform of the Socialists' policies, with commitment to the expansion for the market economy and continued compensation for the victims of communism.

Despite winning an overall majority, Horn decided to form a coalition with the Free Democrats, giving him a two-thirds majority. This was partly to assuage public concerns inside and outside Hungary over an ex-communist party with an overall majority, and partly to get his reform package past his own party's left wing.

Results

Party	SMCs			MMCs			National seats	Total seats	+/–
	Votes	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats
Hungarian Socialist Party	1,689,081	31.3	149	1,781,867	33.0	53	7	209	+176
Alliance of Free Democrats	1,005,766	18.6	16	1,066,074	19.7	28	25	69	–25
Hungarian Democratic Forum	649,966	12.0	5	633,957	11.7	18	15	38	–127
Independent Smallholders' Party	425,482	7.9	1	476,416	8.8	14	11	26	–18
Fidesz	416,143	7.7	0	379,295	7.0	7	13	20	–2
Christian Democratic People's Party	397,887	7.4	3	379,573	7.0	5	14	22	+1
Workers' Party	177,458	3.3	0	172,117	3.2	0	0	0	New
Agrarian Alliance	132,181	2.4	1	113,405	2.1	0	0	1	–1
Republican Party	104,289	1.9	0	137,484	2.5	0	0	0	New
Hungarian Justice and Life Party	67,162	1.2	0	85,623	1.6	0	0	0	New
Liberal Civic Alliance – Entrepreneurs' Party	42,951	0.8	1	33,367	0.6	0	0	1	New
United Smallholders' Party	43,234	0.8	0	44,315	0.8	0	0	0	New
Hungarian Social Democratic Party	32,913	0.6	0	51,122	0.9	0	0	0	0
National Democratic Alliance	32,258	0.6	0	28,075	0.5	0	0	0	New
ASZ–SZDSZ	9,280	0.2	0	–	–	–	0	0	–
VP–Fidesz–ASZ–SZDSZ	6,440	0.1	0	–	–	–	0	0	–
Hungarian Market Party	5,459	0.1	0	635	0.0	0	0	0	New
Conservative Party – Alliance of Farmers and Civilians	5,241	0.1	0	2,046	0.0	0	0	0	New
Green Party of Hungary	4,766	0.1	0	8,813	0.2	0	0	0	0
SZDSZ–KP	4,664	0.1	0	–	–	–	0	0	–
Compromise Independent Smallholders' Party	4,386	0.1	0	5,918	0.1	0	0	0	New
Gypsy Solidarity Party	3,282	0.1	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Green Alternative	2,638	0.1	0	849	0.0	0	0	0	New
Independent Hungarian Democratic Party	2,366	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	0
Democratic Coalition Party	2,117	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
National Alliance of Hungarian Families	2,005	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Historic Independent Smallholders' Party	1,792	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
VP–Fidesz	1,347	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	–
Pensioners' Party	1,245	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Social Democratic Party	1,197	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Democratic Party	1,150	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
EKGP–KDNP	840	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	–
Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party	704	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Party of the Hungarian Interest	416	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Union of Hungarian Biomedicists	334	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Hungarian Mothers' National Party	265	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Electoral Coalition for the Hungarians	211	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Party for Historic Hungary	203	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Hungarian Party of the Unemployed	190	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
National Forces' Movement	188	0.0	0	–	–	–	0	0	New
Independents	122,190	2.3	0	–	–	–	–	0	–6
Invalid/blank votes	78,535	–	–	80,198	–	–	–	–	–
Total	5,480,222	100	176	5,481,149	100	125	85	386	0
Registered voters/turnout	7,960,293	68.9	–	7,960,280	68.9	–	–	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

References

1. Nohlen, D & Stöver, P (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p899 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Nohlen & Stöver, p925