Individual NATO Research Fellowships (1994-1996)

The research reports reproduced here are the responsibility of the individual authors. Their reproduction does not imply any form of official or unofficial endorsement by NATO. The reports are offered in unedited form, as presented by their authors, with a view to make their findings available to a wide audience. Comparison and evaluation of democracy and democratic institutions in Slovak and Hungarian Republics after 1992 Ladislav Tolmáci (Slovakia) [Back to Index] Basic democratic institutions (parliament, president, government, constitutional court) Functioning of basic democratic institutions in both countries is continuous. Both parliaments are unicameral. Slovak parliament has 150 seats an the Hungarian one has 386 seats. Parliaments have considerable powers (election of the President, members of the Constitutional Court, determining, controlling Government etc.). According to its party structure differs today's Slovak Parliament much less from its predecessor (1992-1994) than the Hungarian one. The incumbency retention rate of the Slovak parliament is much higher than in Hungary. The Slovak Parliament and the Hungarian Parliament underwent quite a huge restructuralization of parliamentary parties (the changing of loyalties) during the parliamentary cycle of the "first" parliament. The proportion of changing loyalties was 13% in the Hungarian Parliament and 18% in the Slovak Parliament. List of the most important changes in the National Council of the Slovak Republic (January 1993 June 1996) follows: Spring 1993 - disagreement between the coalition parties (MDS - SNP), MDS is searching for a new coalition partner (PDL) Spring 1993 - MDS lost 8 MPs. They formed a parliamentary faction of independent MPs. PDL as coalition partner rejected. MDS and SNP negotiations about creating a new coalition. February 1994 - appearance of the Alternative of Political Realism within MDS (new fragmentation of the party). March 1994 - vote of no confidence for the Prime Minister (resignation of the government). Decision on early parliamentary election in September 1994. March 1994 - new coalition (APR, PDL, CHDP) September 1994, October 1994 - early elections - new parliament. November 1994 - floor session of the new parliament. No important changes happened in the Slovak Parliament after November 1994. Changes in number of seats in the National Council of the Slovak Republic according to party factions (1993-1994) Party Faction Number of Seats 1992 Number of Seats September 1994 Difference 1992-1994 MDS 74.00 54.00 -20.00 PDL 29.00 28.00 -1.00 CHDM 18.00 18.00 0.00 Independent (former MDS) - 18.00 18.00 Independent - 6.00 6.00 SNP 15.00 9.00 -6.00 Coexistence 9.00 9.00 0.00 HCHDM 5.00 5.00 0.00 Non-affeliated - 3.00 3.00 List of the most important changes in the Hungarian Parliament during the period May 1990 - June 1996 November 1991 - the split of ISP faction February 1992 - ISP left the coalition (part of ISP later, on November 1993 established the USP - the United Smallholders Party, and remained in the coalition) July 1993 - disruption of HDF in and the exclusion of group of István Csurka (they created a new party - the Party of Hungarian Justice and Life HJL). It was followed by creation of three new rightists groups from those MPs who moved out of HDF. May 1994 - Parliamentary elections Spring 1995 - split of HDF. Creation of HNDP (Hungarian National Democratic Party). Changes in number of seats in the Hungarian Parliament (1990-1994) Party Faction Number of Seats May 1990 Number of Seats April 1994 Difference 1990-1994 HDF 165.00 136.00 -29.00 AFD 94.00 83.00 -11.00 ISP 44.00 - - ISP 1. - 9.00 9.00 ISP 2. - 36.00 36.00 HSP 33.00 33.00 0.00 AYD 22.00 26.00 4.00 CDPP 21.00 23.00 2.00 Independent 7.00 28.00 21.00 PHJL - 12.00 12.00 List of committees in the Slovak and Hungarian parliaments Year No of Hungarians 1920 634.827 1930 571.988 The Committees of the Slovak Parliament have been organized according to the Parliamentary Standing Orders. The designation of committee members is made by voting on the floor session. The committees do not corespond the size of parliamentary parties, neither with respect to membership nor leadership. The Committees of Hungarian Parliament have been organised in proportion to the size of parliamentary parties in both respects. The Presidency in both countries has developed into the institution of great independency. In both countries there have been attempts to recall the President. These tendencies are much stronger in Slovakia. In Hungary they were dated back at the end of the parliamentary cycle 1990-1994. The Slovak President (Michal Kovác) has been appointed as a candidate for presidency from among the members of the MDS. He was expected to be more than loyal to his former party. But soon after his election the President became to the certain extent an opponent of the Parliament and the government. The explanations of the almost open enmity between Michal Kovác and the Prime Minister Vladimr Meiar run from deep personal antipathies to hidden party and privatisation preferences. From the lack of data it is impossible to have an unbiased opinion on the relation of the President and the other democratic institutions. There is no evidence that the President has ever acted against the law. The same is valid for the Prime Minister. The most significant activities of the President cover: the nomination of ministers meetings with political parties informal councils for national minorities reports about the state of the Slovak Republic opposing laws and many tasks of foreign and domestic representation. The President of Hungary (Árpád Goncz) has been nominated for the post by AFD. Controversies between him and the leaders of HDF were strong. He questioned the legal status of laws in the 1990-1994 parliamentary cycle quite often. The co-operation after 1994 elections has been much smoother. Goncz was reelected as a President in 1995 for another five year period. The strongest executive powers in both countries are the governments. A separation of powers in the 1993-1996 period was of mixed origin namely between the government and opposition and also between the legislature and executive. Changes in the Slovak government in 1993-1994 were much deeper than in the Hungarian government. In the Slovak government there have been constant problems with the ministers from January 1993 to March 1994. Eight ministers were replaced. Five resigned. Two were dismissed according to a request of the prime minister. One was voted down by the parliament. In March of 1994 the whole cabinet resigned. There were no changes in the government after the early election in 1994 until the end of June 1996. The most serious changes in the Hungarian government (1990-1994) were caused by health problems. The death of the Prime Minister Antal Jzsef, was a fatal loss for the government and for the leading coalition party HDF. There was no successful vote of no confidence for a minister nor prime minister during the period from 1993 to June 1996 . More changes have occured in the government after 1994 than during 1990-1994. They are connected with economic reforms in this country.