The State of Social Democracy in Hungary

Bíró-Nagy, András and Győri, Gábor (2023) The State of Social Democracy in Hungary. In: The Social Democratic Parties in the Visegrád Countries : Predicaments and Prospects for Progressivism. Springer Nature Switzerland AG, Cham, pp. 89-136. ISBN 978-3-031-30791-1; 978-3-031-30794-2; 978-3-031-30792-8

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Abstract

Starting in 2010, the Hungarian opposition became fragmented, with the Democratic Coalition (DK) leaving the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) in 2011 being one example. Although both parties share common goals, they differ in their policy platforms, with the MSZP pursuing more traditional social democratic policies and the DK having a social liberal outlook. This study shows that the emergence of a diverse and multi-party opposition means that the MSZP and DK must prepare for long-term cooperation with political forces that hold vastly different views. The Hungarian left’s reconstruction faces a key challenge as MSZP and DK are seen as both the successors of the pre-1990 regime and responsible for the post-communist period’s policy failures. The history of the Hungarian left from 2010 to the present day is a story of dealing with these serious legacies and of the attempts to rebuild in relation to them. DK has outperformed MSZP since the 2019 European Parliament election, but both parties face challenges in attracting youths and rural residents. While the popularity of social democratic positions is high among the public, the question of who will most credibly represent these values in Hungarian politics remains a vital one in the 2022–2026 term.

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