Transition 1973-1990







Hungary since 1990


Administration . Hungary began her transition from a Communist one-party state to a multiparty democracy in 1989. From 1990 to 2000, Arpad Göncz served as president, from 2000 to 2005 Ferenc Madl, since 2005 Laszlo Solyom. The office of PM was held by Miklos Nemeth (MSzP) 1988-1990, by Joszef Antall (MDF) 1990-1993, by Peter Boross (MDF) 1993-1994, by Gyula Horn (MSzP) 1994-1998, by Viktor Orban (Fidesz-MPP) 1998-2002, by Peter Medguessy (MSzP) 2002-2004 and by Ferenc Gyurszany (MSzP), since 2004. Parliamentary elections were held in 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2006.

Foreign Policy . Soviet forces withdrew in 1991. Hungary joined NATO in 1999, the EU in 2004. In 1991 Hungary joined the coalition which liberated Kuwait (Operation Desert Storm); Hungarian engineers, by mounting jet engines which blew out fires, contributed to ending the ecological disaster the retreating Iraqi army had caused by setting the Kuwaiti oil fields on fire.
In 2003 Hungary joined the Coalition of the Willing, contributing troops to the occupation of Iraq. They were withdrawn in 2004.
Relations with neighbour Romania, tense during the later part of the Ceausescu period, improved as following the Romanian Revolution pressure on Romania's ethnic Hungarian minority eased.
The disintegration of neighbour Yugoslavia in 1991-1995 concerned Hungary, especially as they related to the ethnic Hungarian minority concentrated in the Vojvodina, an autonomous region in the Republic of Serbia.

Political History . As Hungary was among the most liberalized economies of the Eastern Bloc, transition to free market economy and pluralist democracy was comparatively smooth. This is indicated by stable cabinets; the dominant political parties are the Socialist Workers' Party (MSzP, former Communists), the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) and Fidesz.

The Economy . A policy of fast-pace economic liberalization (1990-1994) resulted in high unemployment and huge foreign debt; the next administration pursued a policy of austerity (from 1995), emphasizing exports and privatizing state-owned enterprises. Hungary's GDP shrunk until 1993, grew at a slow pace until 1996, from when economic growth picked up.
The Hungarian Stock Market was opened in 1990. The Hungarian Forint was made freely convertible in 1995.

Social History . According to the 1990 census, Hungary had 10.37 million inhabitants, according to the 2001 census 10.10 million.

Cultural History . Hungarian athletes participated in the Summer Olympics of Barcelona 1992, Atlanta 1996, Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004. In Barcelona, the Hungarian team took 11 gold, in Atlanta 7, in Sydney 8 and in Athens 8.





EXTERNAL
LINKS 		Articles Elections in Hungary, Miklos Nemeth, Jozsef Antall, Peter Boross, Gyula Horn, Viktor Orban, Gulf War (1991), Economy of Hungary, Hungary at the 1992 Summer Olympics, Hungary at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Hungary at the 2000 Summer Olympics, Hungary at the 2004 Summer Olympics, from Wikipedia
Timeline, from BBC News
Almost half a century - my lifetime, from Hungary - A Brief History, by Istvan Lazar, 1989/1993
DOCUMENTS Hungarian Statesmen, from World Statesmen (B. Cahoon)
Historical Population Statistics : Hungary, from Population Statistics (J. Lahmeyer)
Hungarian banknotes, from Ron Wise's World Paper Money and from Currency Museum
REFERENCE Article : Hungary, in : Statesman's Yearbook 1990-1991 pp.614-622, 1991-1992 pp.612-619, 1992-1993 pp.685-692, 1993-1994 pp.690-697, 1994-1995 pp.682-689, 1995-1996 pp.679-686, 1996-1997 pp.621-628, 1997-1998 pp.625-632, 1998-1999 pp.675-683, 2000 pp.779-788, 2001 pp.757-765, 2002 pp.532-539, 2003 pp.790-798, 2004 pp.793-801, 2005 pp.793-802, 2006 pp.790-799 [G]
Entry : Background Notes - Hungary, pp.177-184; Travel Warning - Hungary, pp.502-504, in : Countries of the World and their Leaders Yearbook, 2000, Supplement [G]
Entry : Republic of Hungary, Cabinet p.47, Background Notes : Hungary, pp.672-678, in : Countries of the World and their Leaders Yearbook, 2003 [G]
Entry : Hungary, pp.546-551 in : IMF, International Financial Statistics Yearbook 2001 [G]
Article : Hungary, in : Americana Annual 1992 pp.272-273, 1993 pp.272-273, 1994 pp.271-272, 1998 pp.289-290, 2006 p.203 [G]
Article : Hungary, in : Britannica Book of the Year 1991 pp.471-472, 618, 1992 pp.430-431, 617, 1993 pp.440-441, 625, 1994 pp.439-440, 626, 1995 pp.417, 626, 1996 pp.415, 626, 1997 pp.427, 430, 624, 2002 pp.435-436, 628 [G]


This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2000, last revised on July 6th 2007

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