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Hungary Hungary and the Soviet Model
Hungary's interest in economic reform prompted not only
political reform but also changes in its foreign policy
stance.
The regime found that successful economic reform required
political reform to encourage greater popular
participation in
governmental affairs and an increase in regime legitimacy.
Thus,
the regime took certain steps to expand political
participation
and to promote more individual freedom. Successful
economic
reform also necessitated changes in Hungary's relationship
to the
world economy. Hungary developed and diversified its
relations
with many Western countries and with several non-Western
countries. Political reforms also encouraged Western
countries,
particularly the United States, to furnish economic
assistance to
Hungary. Domestic economic reform therefore provided the
impetus
for Hungary's willingness to emancipate itself, if only to
a
small degree, from both the Soviet political model and
Soviet
foreign policy tutelage.
* * *
In 1989 monographs on Hungary's political system and
foreign
policy remained scarce. Hans-Georg Heinrich's Hungary:
Politics, Economics, and Society presents an overview
of the
government, state, and party structures. Baruch Hazan's
The
East European Political System, although a general
work,
contains some useful information about Hungary. Peter
Toma's
Socialist Authority also provides material on the
political system. For most aspects of government and
politics,
the interested reader is encouraged to turn to more
specialized
works. Istvan Kovacs's "The Development of the
Constitution of
the Hungarian People's Republic" discusses the
Constitution.
Heinrich's Verfassungswirklichkeit in Osteuropa
contains
much material on the Presidential Council. Barnabas Racz's
"Political Participation and Developed Socialism: The
Hungarian
Elections of 1985" is the best secondary source on the
electoral
system. George Schopflin's Censorship and Political
Communication in Eastern Europe provides a perspective
on the
media. The best writings on foreign policy are the reports
prepared by analysts at Radio Free Europe, particularly
those by
Alfred Reisch. In addition, an account of Hungary's
attempts to
develop a new foreign policy role for itself is found in
works by
Gyula Jozsa. (For further information and complete
citations,
see
Bibliography.)
Data as of September 1989
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