Social Democratic Party of Hungary
Magyarországi Szociáldemokrata Párt
AbbreviationMSZDP
ChairmanLászló Hasilló
PresidiumSándor Szőcs
Edit Gavri
Zsolt Csiszár
István Halász
Zoltán Tóth
SpokespersonZoltán Papp
Vice PresidentZoltán Papp
FounderPál Gábor Engelmann
Founded12 December 1890
October 1956 (as SZDP)
9 January 1989
Dissolved12 June 1948
November 1956
Preceded byGeneral Workers Party of Hungary (MÁMP)
Headquarters1107 Budapest, Somfa köz 17.
NewspaperNépszava (1890–1948)
Youth wingSocial Democratic Youth Movement (SZIM)
IdeologySocial democracy
Political positionCentre-left to left-wing
National affiliationLeftist Platform[1]
ColoursRed
National Assembly
0 / 199
European Parliament
0 / 21
Website
www.mszdp.hu

The Social Democratic Party of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarországi Szociáldemokrata Párt, MSZDP) is a social democratic[2] political party in Hungary. Historically, the party was dissolved during the occupation of Hungary by Nazi Germany (1944–1945) and the communist period of Hungary from 1948 to 1989, after being forced into a merger with the Communist Party. It worked legally for a short time during the Revolution of 1956.

It was a government party as a part of the Károlyi Government (1918–1919), Berinkey Government, Peidl Government (1919), Interim National Assembly (1944–1945) and Dinnyés Government (1947–1948). It was reorganized after Hungary's transition from communism in 1989.

MSZDP used to be a member of the Socialist International and the Party of European Socialists until 2020, when it was delisted from both due to inactivity.[3]

Overview

Hungary as part of Austria-Hungary:

  • 1868–1890 The General Workers Association (Általános Munkásegylet)
  • 1890–1918 The Social Democratic Party of Hungary (Magyarországi Szociáldemokrata Párt) - independent party

Hungary as an independent country:

  • 1918–1939 The Social Democratic Party of Hungary (Magyarországi Szociáldemokrata Párt) - independent party
  • 1939–1948 The Social Democratic Party (Szociáldemokrata Párt) - merged with Hungarian Working Peoples Party
  • October 1956 – November 1956 The Social Democratic Party (Szociáldemokrata Párt)
  • 1989 Social Democratic Party of Hungary (Magyarországi Szociáldemokrata Párt)

History up to 1989

The party grew in power and influence until the First World War, which resulted in the party fracturing into pro-war and anti-war factions. The chaos which followed the war resulted in the collapse of the Dual Monarchy. The MSZDP leadership entered into government as part of an unsuccessful post-war socialist administration and subsequently Béla Kun's Communist dictatorship, which carried out a Red Terror against those deemed to be enemies of the revolution and the working class.[4] When the Communist regime collapsed MSZDP supporters were killed in the subsequent anti-Communist backlash. The entire left-wing boycotted the elections of 1920, which resulted in a right-wing victory and continued right-wing government for the inter-war period.

Party emblem after 1945

The MSZDP made their peace with Miklós Horthy's government in 1921 with the Bethlen–Peyer pact. More radical elements were suppressed, and trade union activity was increasingly driven underground during the 1930s. After 1939, the party became known as the SZDP, dropping the "Magyarországi" moniker. The environment became increasingly hostile during the Second World War and activity virtually drained to a halt. With the Nazi takeover of Hungary in 1944, the party was declared illegal. Many of the leadership were executed, with the remainder imprisoned or driven underground.

The party was a member of the Labour and Socialist International between 1923 and 1940.[5]

The MSZDP fought the election of November 1945, finishing in a strong second place. From 1945–1948, the MSZDP governed in association with the Smallholders' Party. With the establishment of the police state, members were increasingly pressured to co-operate with the Hungarian Communist Party. The grouping became the largest party in 1947, but came under increasing pressure to merge with the Communists. Eventually, the right-wing were forcibly excluded from the MSZDP, by the end of 1948 the MSZDP had ceased to function independently. This allowed what was left of the party to merge with the Communists to form the Soviet-sponsored Hungarian Working People's Party. However, the few independent-minded Social Democrats left in the party were quickly shunted aside, leaving the merged party as a renamed and enlarged Communist Party.

The MSZDP re-emerged defiantly in the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. Under the leadership of Anna Kéthly, Gyula Kelemen and József Fischer the MSZDP took a prominent role in Imre Nagy's Provisional Government. For the first time in many years the party newspaper Népszava was published independently. Following the suppression of the Revolution in 1956 and 1957, the MSZDP disappeared again under state repression, and much of the leadership escaped into exile.

The gradual softening of the official government policies in Hungary in the 1970s and 1980s led to many in the governing Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP) being associated with Reform Communism. This was sometimes not easily distinguishable from social democracy.

History after the transition

In 1989 the MSZDP was re-founded, and took a prominent role in the transitional arrangements before the first elections. The MSZMP, now calling itself the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP), started with a large base of members, plenty of financial resources and a core electorate. The MSZP and MSZDP were in competition for the same left-wing support.

The transition period was marked by chaos in the newly reformed MSZDP. There were many disagreements throughout 1989 regarding the direction of the MSZDP, and a breakaway was established in November 1989 as the "Historical" Social Democratic Party (SZDP or tSZDP). The SZDP claimed to be the ideological successor to the "anti-communist" MSZDP of 1945–1948 and 1956. Another breakaway party also emerged in 1989 - the Independent Social Democratic Party (FSZDP). The results of the 1990 elections under the leadership of Anna Petrasovits was a huge disappointment to the MSZDP, as the reconstituted party failed to reach the 5% parliamentary threshold. Following the replacement of Petrasovits, Endre Borbély and Zoltán Király held the position for a year respectively.

Following the defeats in 1990 and 1994, the MSZDP has failed to cross the threshold into Parliament at every subsequent election. Whilst retaining its separate status, it has become even further linked to the MSZP. Its leader (since 1994), László Kapolyi, was elected to Parliament in 2002 as part of a joint MSZP–MSZDP ticket. Between 2002 and 2010, he sat with the MSZP in Parliament, as a normal MSZP MP, and after 2007 he was joined by Gábor Hárs, a 'defector' from the MSZP.

In 2007 and 2008, further defections from the MSZP to the MSZDP in Óbuda and Zugló resulted in some pressure to more clearly define an independent social democratic perspective to differentiate the party from the MSZP. In response to this, László Kapolyi tried to prevent further defections from joining, under pressure from the MSZP's leadership. However, pressure from the remaining membership of the MSZDP has created tensions. In November 2009, a number of local MSZDP associations made autonomous decisions to form electoral alliances with the Green Left, regardless of the MSZDP's national leadership. Due to the leadership's close ties to the MSZP, the MSZDP was unable to capitalise upon the MSZP's growing unpopularity in the run-up to the 2010 Hungarian parliamentary election, and it was doubtful that it had a membership of more than 100 active subscribers.

On its 45th Congress on 8 October 2011, Kapolyi was re-elected as chairman, and Andor Schmuck was elected as general secretary.[6] At the 46th Congress on 24 November 2012, long serving chairman Kapolyi was not running again for re-election, Schmuck was elected as his successor.[7] On 26 May 2013, an attempt was made to officially dissolve the MSZDP, with a small successor party established as the Hungarian Social Democrats' Party (Szocdemek) under the leadership of Andor Schmuck whilst excluding former leader László Kapolyi. The decision of the Congress has since been challenged. Political opponents of Schmuck elected Kapolyi chairman again. The Social Democratic Party under Kapolyi participated in the 2014 general election, as well as Schmuck's new party, which took most of the members and large part of the infrastructure of the MSZDP. László Kapolyi died on 29 November 2014 after a long illness.[8] Since 2014 there have been ongoing challenges to the legal status of the MSZDP, and its current legal status is unclear. The MSZDP did not participate in the 2018 general election and party leader László Hasilló endorsed Gergely Karácsony and his MSZP–Dialogue electoral alliance.[9] In 2020 MSZDP was delisted from the Party of European Socialists and the Socialist International due to inactivity.[3]

Party director Dániel Cséplő announced in July 2021 that MSZDP intends to participate in the 2021 opposition primary and requested the inclusion of his party to the six-member opposition election cooperation, with the similar conditions as the New World People's Party (ÚVNP). The six parties, however, refused the request. MSZDP also endorsed the candidacy of centre-right politician Péter Márki-Zay as prime minister of the united opposition. After rejection, Cséplő announced MSZDP intends to take part in the 2022 parliamentary election with separate candidates and national list.[10] In early 2022 MSZDP announced on its website that MSZDP and Workers' Party of Hungary 2006 - European Left will cooperate in preparation for the 2022 parliamentary election.[1] However, the party's registration was refused by the National Election Office (NVI) due to for administrative reasons. The leadership of MSZDP endorsed United for Hungary thereafter.[11]

Election results

Election year National Assembly Government
# of
overall votes		  % of
overall vote		 # of
overall seats won		 +/–
1920
MSZDP boycotted the election due to the White Terror
1922
277,481
17% (#2)
25 / 245
 New in opposition
1926
126,824
11.1% (#3)
14 / 245
 Decrease 11 in opposition
1931
165,794
11% (#4)
14 / 245
 Steady 0 in opposition
1935
132,052
6.7% (#4)
11 / 245
 Decrease 3 in opposition
1939
126,637
3.4% (#4)
5 / 260
 Decrease 6 in opposition
1944
(#2)
125 / 498
 Increase 120 in government
1945
823,250
17.4% (#2)
69 / 409
 Decrease 56 in government
1947
742,171
14.86% (#4)
67 / 411
 Decrease 2 in government
1990
174,409
3.6% (#8)
0 / 386
 extra-parliamentary
1994
51,122
0.9% (#11)
0 / 386
 Steady 0 extra-parliamentary
1998
5,689
0.1%
0 / 386
 Steady 0 extra-parliamentary
20021
41,461
0.7%
1 / 386
 Increase 1 extra-parliamentary
20062 did not participate
1 / 386
 Steady 0 extra-parliamentary
2010
4,117
0.08%
0 / 386
 Decrease 1 extra-parliamentary
2014
937
0.02%
0 / 199
 Steady 0 extra-parliamentary

1 Joint individual candidates with the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP). Party President László Kapolyi was elected MP and joined MSZP parliamentary group.

2 Kapolyi was elected MP from the National List of MSZP. In 2008, Socialist MP Gábor Hárs left his party and joined MSZDP.

General Secretaries then Presidents

Party merged to Socialist Party of Hungary (1919)

Party merged to Hungarian Working People's Party (1948–1956)

Party disbanded (1956–1989)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Baloldali Platform: választási együttműködés az Európai Baloldallal". MSZDP (in Hungarian). January 2022. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  2. ↑ Janusz Bugajski (2002). Political Parties of Eastern Europe: A Guide to Politics in the Post-Communist Era. M.E. Sharpe. p. 351. ISBN 978-1-56324-676-0. Retrieved 6 February 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Members". PES. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  4. ↑ "Two Italians against Béla Kun - Hungarian Review". www.hungarianreview.com. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  5. ↑ Kowalski, Werner. Geschichte der sozialistischen arbeiter-internationale: 1923 - 19. Berlin: Dt. Verl. d. Wissenschaften, 1985. p. 332
  6. ↑ KONGRESSZUS - 2011. OKTÓBER, mszdp.hu
  7. ↑ Schmuck Andor lett az MSZDP elnöke
  8. ↑ Meghalt Kapolyi László (in Hungarian)
  9. ↑ Történelmi párttal bővült a Változás Szövetsége! (in Hungarian)
  10. ↑ Indulna az előválasztáson, és fenyegetőzik az MSZDP (in Hungarian)
  11. ↑ Kormányváltás kell! – Választási közleményünk (in Hungarian)
  • Erényi Tibor : Szocializmus a századelőn. Kossuth Könyvkiadó, Bp. 1979.
  • Gábor Róbert: Az igazi szociáldemokrácia. Küzdelem a fasizmus és a kommunizmus ellen, 1944–1948. Századvég, Bp. 2001.
  • Péter Kulcsár : A szociáldemokrácia az eszmék történetében. Hungarovox Kiadó, Bp. 2007.
  • István Pintér : A Szociáldemokrata Párt története, 1933–1944. Kossuth Könyvkiadó, Bp. 1980.
  • Mihály Révész : A szociáldemokrata mozgalom ötven esztendeje Magyarországon 1890 decemberétől napjainkig. = Buchinger Manó – Révész Mihály: Fél évszázad. Szociáldemokrata Párt, Bp. 1941. 19–105.
  • István Schlett : A szociáldemokrácia és a magyar társadalom 1914-ig. Gondolat Kiadó, Bp. 1982.
  • Péter Sipos : Legális és illegális munkásmozgalom, 1919–1944. Gondolat Kiadó, Bp. 1988.
  • Lajos Varga (főszerk.) : A magyar szociáldemokrácia kézikönyve. Napvilág Kiadó, Bp. 1999.
  • Vilmos Vass : A magyar demokratikus munkásmozgalom rövid története, 1919–1944. Széphalom Könyvműhely, Bp. 1999.
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