GOVERNMENT
The president of the republic, elected by the National Assembly every 5 years, has a largely ceremonial role, but powers also include appointing the prime minister. The prime minister selects cabinet ministers and has the exclusive right to dismiss them. Each cabinet nominee appears before one or more parliamentary committees in consultative open hearings and must be formally approved by the president. The unicameral, 386-member National Assembly is the highest state authority body and initiates and approves legislation sponsored by the prime minister. A party must win at least 5% of the national vote to form a parliamentary faction. National parliamentary elections are held every 4 years (the last in April 2006). A 15-member Constitutional Court has power to challenge legislation on grounds of unconstitutionality.
Principal Government Officials
President--Laszlo Solyom
Prime Minister--Gordon Bajnai (MSZP)
Minister of Foreign Affairs--Peter Balazs
Ambassador to the United States--Ferenc Somogyi
Ambassador to the United Nations--Gabor Brodi
The
Hungarian embassy is
located at 3910 Shoemaker St. NW, Washington, DC 20008 (tel. 202-362-6730).
Hungary has consulates in New York City and Los Angeles.
Government
Type: Republic.
Constitution: August 20, 1949. Substantially rewritten in 1989, amended in 1990.
Branches: Executive--president of the Republic (head of state), prime minister (head of government), Council of Ministers. Legislative--National Assembly (386 members, 4-year term). Judicial--Supreme Court and Constitutional Court.
Administrative regions: 19 counties plus capital region of Budapest.
Principal political parties: Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Party--center-right; Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)--center-left; Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ)--center-left; Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF)--center-right; Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP)--center-right.
