Hungarian parliamentary election, 2010

The parliamentary elections in Hungary in 2010 was held on 11 and 25 April. It was the sixth parliamentary election since the fall of communism in Hungary. Around 8.1 million people were eligible to vote. The parties had, overcoming a five-percent hurdle to feed into the Hungarian Parliament ( Országgyűlés ). The election took place in two rounds. The end result is a landslide victory for the conservative Christian electoral alliance Fidesz and Christian Democratic People's Party ( KDNP ), which has in the newly elected Parliament on a two-thirds majority was.

Starting position

The previous, non-party Prime Minister Gordon Bajnai announced not to stand for election. For him supportive social democratic Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP ) Attila Mesterházy was a candidate for the office of Prime Minister. For the right-wing Fidesz joined the then opposition leader, former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, at. Other top candidates were Attila Retkes for the liberal SZDSZ and Lajos Bokros for the Civil MDF. Wanted to move into the new parliament, the far-right Jobbik Gábor Vona and under the green LMP, for András Schiffer was the top candidate. The Communist MCMP Hungary joined with Gyula Thürmer.

The two small Hungarian opposition parties, the MDF and the SZDSZ, concluded before the election from an electoral alliance. The SZDSZ decided to go in the capital Budapest and in 18 constituencies with single candidate in the election, while the MDF a capital and aufstellte a country list. For a political cooperation, the two dominant parties of the first freely elected Hungarian Parliament went to the turn of 1989 for the first time. In MDF, the collaboration led to large resistors and withdrawals from the Party.

Pre-election polls

In the surveys, a clear victory of Fidesz and the advent of the Jobbik became apparent to parliament. The ruling MSZP since 2002, however, were high losses (of about 40 % to about 20%) and perhaps even falling back to third place behind Fidesz (up to 66%) and Jobbik ( 12-20 %) predicted, while the forecasts for the new green party LMP at the 5% lay and thus opened a small chance of a into parliament.

Electoral process and election mode

Changes in the prescribed procedure of choice cards voters meant that the reduced number of polling stations for voters voting cards led to a rush. To choose nevertheless to give all voters the option of opening time of polling stations was extended over 19 clock out. But of this, no extrapolations or exit polls were to be announced. But not all media stuck to these rules. The 386 members of parliament are elected in an election, the elections in some constituencies and elections of parties lists combined (personalized proportional representation ). 176 members are elected in single constituencies. If no candidate achieves an absolute majority, a second ballot shall be held. If the turnout was less than 50 % may also compete in the second ballot, all candidates in the first round. Fraud, voter turnout more than 50%, may not commence the candidates who have received more than 15 % of the vote, but it must be at least 3 candidates for which this is true (otherwise not subject to the 15 % rule and the three candidates with the highest number of votes allowed to compete ). In the second ballot, a relative majority is sufficient. 152 seats in parliament are elected through regional party lists. The remaining 58 seats are filled from nationwide party lists, that the distribution of seats equal to the national share of the vote.

Election result

First round on 11 April

• Absolute majority of Fidesz KDNP (119 constituencies )
• Relative majority for Fidesz KDNP (56 constituencies )
• Relative majority for the MSZP (1 constituency)

In the first round ( 68.7 %) was decided on the distribution of 265 seats. In 119 constituencies candidates of the Fidesz reached immediately the absolute majority in the remaining 57 constituencies, a second ballot was necessary because none of the candidates had achieved an absolute majority. 146 candidates were elected on the regional lists. Already after the first round it was clear that Fidesz would have in the newly elected Parliament has an absolute majority.

Second round on April 25

• Constituencies won by Fidesz KDNP (173 )
• By the MSZP won election districts ( 2)
• By independent candidates won electoral district ( 1)

In the second round of voting was decided on the candidates of 57 constituencies, where in the first round no candidate had obtained an absolute majority. In 54 constituencies Fidesz candidates were successful in Budapest two constituencies a candidate of the MSZP prevailed. In the constituency Edelény independent candidate Molnár Oszkar was successful.

Comprehensive income and the distribution of seats in the newly elected parliament

The newly elected parliament come to Fidesz KDNP 262 seats ( 67.9 %), the MSZP 59 seats ( 15.3%), on Jobbik 47 seats (12.2%) and on the LMP 16 seats (4.2% ). A seat (0.26 %) is attributable to the coalition Fidesz KDNP MVMP and another seat to an independent candidate.