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Europe

Hungary
Last reviewed: 14 October 2009

Country information

POLITICS

Recent Political Developments

The President, László Sólyom, was elected by parliament in June 2005 and inaugurated on 5 August 2005. President Sólyom is a constitutional lawyer and three times President of the Hungarian Constitutional Court. Under the constitution, the President has relatively little executive power, but does provide a check on the constitutionality of government legislation.

A Socialist-Free Democrat coalition government was formed after the April 2006 general elections, but frustrated at its failure to implement promised reform (particularly after its heavy defeat in March in a referendum on health charges), the Free Democrats left the coalition in April 2008, saying they would only support the government on a case by case basis. Prime Minister Bajnai (who belongs to no party) is governing with support from the Socialist Party and the Liberal SzDSz Party. The government's main pledge is to continue to reduce the budget deficit in line with a Convergence Program approved by the European Union and to pursue structural austerity in line with the IMF stand-by facility agreed in autumn 2008. 

Prime Minister: Gordon Bajnai
Minister of Finance: Péter Oszkó
Minister of Economy and National Development: Istvan Varga
Minister of Foreign Affairs: Péter Balázs
Minister of Local Authority:  Zoltán Varga
Minister of Transport, Commuication and Energy: Péter Hónig
Minister of Social and Labour Affairs: László Herczog
Minister of Defence: Imre Szekeres
Minister of Health: Tamás Székely
Minister of Environment Protection and Water Management: Imre Szabó
Minister of Education and Culture: István Hiller
Minister of Justice and Law Enforcement: Tibor Draskovics
Minister of Agriculture and Regional Devleopment: József Gráf
Minister in charge of the PMO: Csaba Molnár
Minister without portfolio responsible for social policy co-ordination: Péter Kiss
Minister without portfolio in charge of the secret services: Gábor Juhász

 

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Travel Advice

Travel advice: Hungary

See Also

Useful Links

• UK Trade & Investment Country Profile: Hungary
• British Chamber of Commerce in Hungary
• British Council in Budapest
• Office of the Prime Minister of Hungary
• BBC News Country Timeline: Hungary  

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Copyright 2009 Foreign & Commonwealth Office