Politics of Hungary
The politics of Hungary take place in a framework of a parliamentary representative democratic republic. The prime minister is the head of government of a pluriform multi-party system, while the president is the head of state and holds a largely ceremonial position. As of 2024, The country is considered "no longer a full democracy" by the EU, and is generally said to have democratically backslid since 2010 when the Fidesz–KDNP Party Alliance led by Viktor Orbán won a two-third parliamentary supermajority and adopted a new constitution of Hungary that have both remained in place since.
Executive power is exercised by the government. Legislative power is vested in both the government and the parliament. The party system since the last elections has been dominated by the conservative Fidesz. The three larger oppositions are Democratic Coalition, Momentum and Jobbik; there are also opposition parties with a small fraction in parliament. The judiciary is independent of the executive and the legislature.
Hungary is an independent state, which has been a member of the European Union since 2004. Since 1989 Hungary has been a parliamentary republic. Legislative power is exercised by the unicameral National Assembly that consists of 199 members. Members of the National Assembly are elected for four years.
In the April 2022 election, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán won a fourth consecutive term in office. His party, Fidesz, secured another two-thirds majority in parliament.
The longest-serving prime minister is incumbent office-holder Viktor Orbán, who held the position from 6 July 1998 to 27 May 2002 and from 29 May 2010 until present-day. He surpassed Kálmán Tisza as the longest-serving prime minister on 30 November 2020. if the years are counted cumulatively, with 19 years in total as of 2025.
Political parties and elections
In the 2022 Hungarian election there were two main coalitions as well as some minor parties who had the ability to put together a party list. The two largest were the right-wing FIDESZ-KDNP coalition, and the big tent United for Hungary a coalition which consists of the following parties: DK, MSZP, Jobbik, Dialogue-The Greens' Party, LMP - Hungary's Green Party, and Momentum. There were also associate parties and movements such as ÚVNP, Liberals, New Start, MMM, 99 movement. There minor parties mentioned above who were not part of these two coalitions are as folllows: the far-right Our Homeland Movement which also won seats during the 2022 elections, a joke party called Hungarian Two Tailed Dog Party, Megoldás Mozgalom, a party which wants to digitalize, and a party called Normális Élet Pártja primarily an anti-vaccine party. Another larger coalition was the so-called Leftist Alliance, comprising the socilaist ISZOMM and the communist Munkáspárt, and although they were unable to create a party list due to lacking enough signatures, however they still ran in 66 constituencies according to the electoral commission of HungaryJudicial branches
A fifteen-member Constitutional Court has power to challenge legislation on grounds of unconstitutionality. This body was last filled in July 2010. Members are elected for a term of twelve years. Critics of the ruling coalition contend that since the Hungarian government filled the Constitutional Court with loyal judges, the institution mostly serves to legitimize government interests and has lost its original purpose as democratic defender of the rule of law and of human rights - as several reports of independent human rights NGOs, such as the Hungarian Helsinki Committee emphasize.The president of the Supreme Court of Hungary and the Hungarian civil and penal legal system he leads is fully independent of the Executive Branch.
The attorney general or chief prosecutor of Hungary is currently fully independent of the executive branch, but his status is actively debated.
Several ombudsman offices exist in Hungary to protect civil, minority, educational and ecological rights in non-judicial matters. They have held the authority to issue legally binding decisions since late 2003.
Financial branch
The central bank, the Hungarian National Bank was fully self-governing between 1990 and 2004, but new legislation gave certain appointment rights to the executive branch in November 2004 which is disputed before the Constitutional Court.Administrative divisions
Hungary is divided in 19 counties, 23 urban counties*, and 1 capital city** ; Bács-Kiskun, Baranya, Békés, Békéscsaba*, Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, Budapest**, Csongrád, Debrecen*, Dunaújváros*, Eger*, Érd*, Fejér, Győr*, Győr-Moson-Sopron, Hajdú-Bihar, Heves, Hódmezővásárhely*, Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok, Kaposvár*, Kecskemét*, Komárom-Esztergom, Miskolc*, Nagykanizsa*, Nógrád, Nyíregyháza*, Pécs*, Pest, Salgótarján*, Somogy, Sopron*, Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg, Szeged*, Szekszárd*, Székesfehérvár*, Szolnok*, Szombathely*, Tatabánya*, Tolna, Vas, Veszprém, Veszprém*, Zala, Zalaegerszeg*Involvement in international organisations
Hungary is a member of the ABEDA, Australia Group, BIS, CE, CEI, CERN, CEPI EAPC, EBRD, ECE, EU, FAO, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, ITUC, NAM, NATO, NEA, NSG, OAS, OECD, OPCW, OSCE, PCA, SECI, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNIKOM, UNMIBH, UNMIK, UNOMIG, UNU, UPU, WCO, WFTU, Visegrád Group, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTrO, and the Zangger Committee.Ministries
Note: with restructuring and reorganisation, this information may change even within a governmental period.| English name | Hungarian name | Minister |
| The Prime Minister's Office | Miniszterelnökség | Gergely Gulyás |
| The Prime Minister's Cabinet Office | A Miniszterelnöki Kabinetiroda | Antal Rogán |
| Ministry of Home Affairs | Belügyminisztérium | Sándor Pintér |
| Ministry of Defence | Honvédelmi Minisztérium | Tibor Benkő |
| Ministry of Human Resources | Emberi Erőforrások Minisztériuma | Miklós Kásler |
| Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade | Külgazdasági és Külügyminisztérium | Péter Szijjártó |
| Ministry of Justice | Igazságügyi Minisztérium | Judit Varga |
| Ministry of Finance | Pénzügyminisztérium | Mihály Varga |
| Ministry of Agriculture | Agrárminisztérium | István Nagy |
| Ministry of Innovation and Technology | Innovációs és Technológiai Minisztérium | László Palkovics |