Hungary. Hungarian Republic
A state in the southeastern part of Central Europe. Area - 93,03 thousand km². Capital - Budapest (1.7 million, with suburbs - 2.6 million), major cities: Debrecen, Miskolc, Szeged, Pécs, Győr. Administratively, the country is divided into 19 counties, with the capital having a special status. Population - 10.1 million (2005). The overwhelming majority (over 90%) are Hungarians, with also Roma (more than 500 thousand), Germans, Slovaks, Croats, Serbs, and Romanians. Over 3 million ethnic Hungarians live in neighboring countries.
The official language is Hungarian. Religion: the majority of believers are Catholics (70%) and Protestants (25%). The currency is the forint.
Hungary has diplomatic relations with the Russian Federation (established with the USSR in 1934, restored on September 25, 1945; on December 6, 1991, a Treaty on Friendly Relations and Cooperation between Russia and Hungary was signed).
The national holiday is August 20 - St. Stephen's Day (the king, founder of the Hungarian state).
National holidays - March 15 - Day of the Beginning of the Revolution and Liberation Struggle of 1848-49, October 23 - Day of the Beginning of the Revolution and Liberation Struggle of 1956 and the Proclamation of the Hungarian Republic (1989).
Hungary is a parliamentary republic. The president is elected for 5 years (László Sólyom, elected in June 2005). The highest legislative body of state power is the unicameral National Assembly, elected by universal, equal, and direct elections for 4 years, consisting of 386 deputies. The highest body of state administration is the government; a coalition since April 2002 consisting of representatives of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ). The Prime Minister is elected by the National Assembly upon the proposal of the party that won the elections and is the chief official in the country. Since September 2004, the government has been headed by MSZP member Ferenc Gyurcsány.
More than 100 parties and socio-political organizations are registered in Hungary. The parliament includes the Hungarian Socialist Party (founded in 1989, chairman - I. Hiller), the Alliance of Young Democrats - Hungarian Civic Union (Fidesz - MDF) (founded in 1988, chairman - V. Orbán), the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) (formed into a party in 1988, chairman - I. Dávid), and the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) (formed in 1988, chairman - G. Kuncze).
Trade unions in Hungary in 2004 united up to 700 thousand people; the largest trade union association is the Federation of Hungarian Trade Unions (MSZOSZ). However, the number of trade union associations has been decreasing each year.
Hungarians separated from the ancient Finno-Ugric ethnic community at the turn of the 1st-2nd millennium BC. By the end of the 9th century, they migrated from the foothills of the Southern Urals to the Carpathian basin, where around 1000 AD a medieval Hungarian state was formed, the territory of which at its peak included, in addition to modern Hungary, Transylvania, Slovakia, Subcarpathia, Burgenland, Vojvodina, and almost all of Croatia. From 1526 to 1699, most of the country was under Ottoman rule, and then it was forcibly incorporated into the Habsburg Empire. The national liberation uprising of 1703-11 and the national-democratic revolution of 1848-49 were unsuccessful; however, in 1867, Hungary achieved a special, effectively sovereign status within the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. After its collapse due to defeat in World War I, Hungary gained independence but lost more than two-thirds of its territory according to the Trianon Peace Treaty of 1920, including several areas with a predominantly Hungarian population.
From March to August 1919, the Hungarian Soviet Republic existed. After its fall, a regime led by Miklós Horthy was established, bringing the country to an alliance with the powers of the Hitlerite "axis" on the eve of World War II. On June 27, 1941, Hungary declared war on the USSR. In the winter of 1942/43, the Hungarian army was defeated on the Don. This was followed by German occupation (March 1944), an unsuccessful attempt to exit the war (October 1944), and the dictatorship of the Arrow Cross Party. The territory of Hungary was liberated by the Red Army in September 1944 - April 1945. The Paris Peace Treaty of 1947 generally confirmed the Trianon borders of the country.
By 1948, the power of the Communist Party was established in Hungary, and in 1949, the Hungarian People's Republic (HPR) was proclaimed, embarking on the path of building socialism. Economic voluntarism and unjustified repressions by its leadership (M. Rákosi and his entourage) led to bloody events in October-November 1956 in the country. An armed uprising against the regime was suppressed with the participation of Soviet troops. The new government of the HPR, led by János Kádár, achieved significant successes in the socio-economic development of the country. In 1989-90, Hungary underwent a smooth transformation of its social system. After parliamentary elections on a multi-party basis in 1990, a national-conservative coalition came to power, taking a course towards market reforms and Euro-Atlantic integration. In 1994, the elections were won by the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) in alliance with the liberal Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ). In 1998, they were replaced by a right-conservative coalition led by Fidesz. As a result of the next parliamentary elections held in April 2002, the MSZP - SZDSZ coalition came to power in Hungary again.
Hungary was admitted to the UN in 1955, joined GATT in 1973, entered the IMF and the World Bank in 1982, the Council of Europe in 1991, and the OECD in 1996. In March 1999, it joined NATO, and since May 1, 2004, Hungary has been a member of the EU. The country participates in regional cooperation structures: the Central European Initiative (CEI), the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe (SPSEE), the Visegrád Group (with Poland, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia), and the Quadrilateral (with Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia). The headquarters of the Danube Commission is located in Budapest.
Hungary is a country with a medium income level (in 2004, GDP per capita was 7,200 euros), actively participating in international trade. The country is not rich in natural resources (bauxite, lignite deposits, as well as depleted reserves of natural gas and oil are of industrial significance), but it has favorable agro-climatic and recreational conditions, as well as a favorable geographical location. The infrastructure is well-developed, and the population has a relatively high level of education, qualifications, social mobility, and innovative receptiveness.
Hungary is a country with a rapidly developing economy, and market transformations are practically complete. Key economic indicators for 2004: GDP growth - 4%, industrial production - 8.3%, agricultural production - 10%, unemployment rate was 7.1%, inflation - 3.2%, external gross debt - 49 billion euros, consolidated budget deficit - 5.1% of GDP, internal state debt - about 60% of GDP.
The program for the privatization of the state sector of the economy has been mostly completed, with the share of the private sector in GDP production exceeding four-fifths. The total volume of foreign investments reached 50 billion euros.
Bauxite is mined. The most developed sectors are machine engineering (including bus production), telecommunications, measuring instruments, engines, machine tools, chemical, pharmaceutical, metallurgical (including aluminum), textile, and food industries. The service sector is developing at an accelerated pace. The structure of exports has significantly improved, with three-quarters directed to EU countries. The production of material- and energy-intensive industries is decreasing.
Agriculture remains significant, especially the production of wheat, corn, sugar beets, and sunflowers. Pig and poultry farming are well-developed. Vegetable growing, horticulture, and viticulture are widespread. The quality of Tokaji dessert wine, made from grapes grown on the slopes of the volcanic Tokaj mountain, is renowned. Most wines are table wines made from grape varieties grown in the sandy soils between the Danube and Tisza rivers. Certain vegetable crops are produced in specialized areas that have traditionally grown high-quality onions, cucumbers, peppers, and other types of vegetables for many years.
Among transition economy countries, Hungary stands out for its smoothing of social contrasts, although wealth inequality is significant. The average salary (after taxes and social payments) reaches 520 dollars, and the pension is 270 dollars (with an individual subsistence minimum of about 177 dollars).
The largest daily newspapers are "Népszabadság," "Magyar Nemzet," "Népszava," "Mai Nap." There is a Hungarian Telegraph Agency (MTI), radio, and television.