Hungarian parliamentary election, 2006

Infobox Election
election_name = Hungarian parliamentary election, 2006
country = Hungary
type = parliamentary
ongoing = no
previous_election = Hungarian parliamentary election, 2002
previous_year = 2002
next_election = Hungarian parliamentary election, 2010
next_year = 2010
seats_for_election = All 386 seats to the Országgyűlés
election_date = April 9 & 23, 2006


leader1 = Ferenc Gyurcsány
party1 = Hungarian Socialist Party
leaders_seat1 =
last_election1 = 178 seats
seats1 = 186 (4)
seat_change1 = +8 (12)
popular_vote1 = 6.022.381
percentage1 = 42.0%


leader2 = Viktor Orbán
party2 = Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Union
leaders_seat2 =
last_election2 = 188 seats
(Fidesz-led coalition)
seats2 = 164
(Fidesz-led coalition)
seat_change2 = -24
popular_vote2 = 6.053.649
percentage2 = 43.2%

map_

---

map_size = 250px
map_caption = Map showing winning/leading parties in each Single Member Constituency

title = PM
before_election = Ferenc Gyurcsány
before_party = Hungarian Socialist Party
after_election = Ferenc Gyurcsány
after_party = Hungarian Socialist PartyThe schedule of the 2006 Hungarian parliamentary elections, as announced by president László Sólyom was as follows:
* first round on April 9, 2006
* second round on April 23, 2006

Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány's Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) won a plurality of the vote and will continue to govern in coalition with the Alliance of Free Democrats.

Results

These are the results of the 1st round.

* Hungarian Socialist Party
** In the single-seat constituencies, they received 40.26% of the vote electing 34 members.
** In the multi-member constituencies, they received 43.21% of the vote electing 71 members.
** In total, they received 41.73% of the vote, electing 105 members.

* Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union - Christian Democratic People's Party
** In the single-seat constituencies, they received 42.00% of the vote electing 28 members.
** In the multi-member constituencies, they received 42.03% of the vote electing 69 members.
** In total, they received 42.01% of the vote, electing 97 members.

* Alliance of Free Democrats
** In the single-seat constituencies, they received 6.31% of the vote electing 0 members.
** In the multi-member constituencies, they received 6.50% of the vote electing 4 members.
** In total, they received 6.40% of the vote, electing 4 members.

* Hungarian Democratic Forum
** In the single-seat constituencies, they received 4.41% of the vote electing 0 members.
** In the multi-member constituencies, they received 5.04% of the vote electing 2 members.
** In total, they received 4.73% of the vote, electing 2 members.

* Other Parties
** The Hungarian Socialist Party-Alliance of Free Democrats worked together in some single-member constituencies, nominating a single candidate. 4 such candidates were elected in this way.

[http://www.valasztas.hu/outroot/vdin1/en/l22w.htm]

According to the electoral authority, voter turnout was 67.83 percent.

As there were 110 electoral districts where no candidate could win an overall majority in the first round, a second round run-off was scheduled to take place in these districts on April 23, 2006.

Full information can be found at the website of the Hungarian Parliament [http://www.valasztas.hu/] .

Party negotiations between the two rounds

On April 10 the two parties of the governing coalition (Hungarian Socialist Party and Alliance of Free Democrats) announced their alliance for the second round. The socialists withdrew 3 of their candidates in favor of the liberal one, and the liberals withdrew their remaining 55 candidates (all in 3rd place), and called for support of the socialists. The leaders of the two parties ran a common campaign between the two rounds.

The opposition was not united, however. The Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) which hit the 5% threshold contrary to the polls and expectations made it clear that they will not support Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party. Orbán tried to get their support by declaring that he resigned from Prime Minister candidacy, and sought a compromise candidate, but the MDF held to their independency, thus they did not withdraw their 3rd place candidates. However, some MDF candidates didn't agree with this, and withdrew in favour of Fidesz.

Polls

Gallup

Medián

Tárki

External links

* [http://www.gallup.hu Gallup polls]
* [http://www.tarki.hu Tarki polls]

Major parties

The Hungarian Socialist Party wins with a plurality of the votes and will therefore continue to govern in coalition with the Alliance of Free Democrats; it also becomes the first re-elected government of Hungary since the end of the Cold War. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4935474.stm (BBC)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/23/AR2006042300581.html (Washington Post)] [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/04/23/AR2006042300158.html (Washington Post/Reuters)]

Election system

The unicameral, 386-member National Assembly (Országgyűlés), the highest organ of state authority, initiates and approves legislation sponsored by the prime minister. A party must win at least 5% of the national vote to form a parliamentary faction. The National Assembly (Országgyűlés) has 386 members, elected for a four year term: 176 members in single-seat constituencies, 152 by proportional representation in multi-seat constituencies (using territorial lists) and 58 members (using a national list) to realize proportional representation.

The election takes place over two days. On the 9th April (1st round), elections took place in every constituency, both single-seat and multi-seat. In order to get elected into a single-seat constituency, a candidate needs to receive more than 50% of the vote; in the 2006 elections, the victor received more than 50% of the vote in 66 of the 176 single-seat constituencies. There will be another election in the remaining 110 single-seat constituencies in the 2nd round, in which all but the top three candidates (and every candidate reaching 15%) from the 1st round are excluded. Usually parties form alliances between the two rounds and withdraw many of their 3rd place candidates and call for supporting the allied party so the winning candidate of the 2nd round will receive more than 50% of the vote. However, this process is not automatic, it is grounded by negotiations.

The multi-seat elections also took place during the 1st round. During the 2006 elections, 146 of the 152 seats were filled using proportional representation. The remaining 6 will be added to the national list. Hungary is divided into 20 regions for the multi-seat elections with varying numbers of members per region. For example, Budapest elects 28 MPs. Where a party wins more members in a regional than it technically should (for example, if it wins 2 of the 10 member in a region, but only received 19.5% of the vote), then the surplus votes will be deducted from the total it receives in the 2nd round. Correspondingly, a party which wins fewer members than it should will have the shortfall votes added to its total in the 2nd round.

The 2nd round takes place on the 23rd April. During the 2nd round, the remaining 110 single-seat constituencies will be contested. Furthermore, 58 (plus 6 more not elected from the single-seat constituencies in the first round) extra members will be elected using a national list in order to achieve a more proportional result.

Before the election the parties need to be registered by the National Electoral Office. After registation the parties have the right to collect references. One candidate have to collect 750 references in his/her district. If one party have collected in 2 districts (in Budapest 8, Pest 5 and Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén 3) in a county, then the party has the right to present his regional constituencies, and if the party has 7 regional, county list then he has the right to present the national compensation list.

17 March was the last day when a party could be registered and a list or a candidate could be registered.

On 28 February, 49 parties sought registration, and 45 were registered by the National Electoral Office.

Candidates in single-seat constituencies

12.Mar. (At 16.35, Hungarian timezone)

The toplist:

Parties with country list (10):

* Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union - 176, 176 were registered, all candidates are in common with Christian Democratic People's Party, and 2 with Hungarian Democratic Forum+ 20 county lists in common with KDNP.
* Christian Democratic People's Party(KDNP) - 176, 176 were registered, all candidates are in common with Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union and 2 with Hungarian Democratic Forum + 20 county lists in common with Fidesz.
* Hungarian Socialist Party - 176, 176 were registered, 10 candidates is common with the Alliance of Free Democrats + 20 county lists.
* Alliance of Free Democrats - 176, 176 were registered, 10 candidates is common with the Hungarian Socialist Party + + 20 county lists.
* Hungarian Democratic Forum - 163, 163 were registered, 1 candidate is common with the Hungarian Pensioners Party, 2 candidates are common with the Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union and Christian Democratic People's Party, and 6 candidate is common with the Clamp for our county + 20 county lists
* Hungarian Justice and Life Party – Movement for a Better Hungary the Third Way alliance of parties - 114, 114 were registered + 20 county lists.
* Hungarian Communist Workers' Party - 52, 52 were registered + 12 county lists.
* Hungarian Gipsy Organizations Forum - Gipsy Cramping Party - 29, 29 were registered + 8 county lists.
* Centre Party - 30, 30 were registered + 8 county lists.
* Christian Democratic Party- 27, 27 were registered + 9 county lists.
* Hungarian Countryside and Civic Party - 18, 18 were registered + 7 county lists.

Parties with only county lists (5):

* Party of Greens - 12, 12 were registered + 3 county lists.
* Independent Smallholders, National Unity Party - 8, 8 were registered + 3 county lists.
* Independent Smallholders, Agrarian Workers and Civic Party - 7, 7 were registered + 2 county lists.
* Workers' Party of Hungary 2006 - 7, 7 were registered + 2 county lists....

Other parties, and independents with no list:

* Clamp for our county - 6, 6 were registered, all candidates are in common with Hungarian Democratic Forum....
* Union of Green Democrates - 1, 1 were registered.

National compensation lists

The parties, who have been able to present national compensation list, are the follows: [http://index.hu/politika/belhirek/?main:2006.03.21&259003]
* Alliance of Free Democrats
* Centre Party
* Christian Democratic Party
* Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union-Christian Democratic People's Party
* Hungarian Communist Workers' Party
* Hungarian Countryside and Civic Party
* Hungarian Democratic Forum
* Hungarian Gipsy Organizations Forum - Gipsy Cramping Party
* Hungarian Justice and Life Party – Movement for a Better Hungary the Third Way alliance of parties
* Hungarian Socialist Party

In 2002 there were only 8 national compensation lists.

ee also

* 2006 protests in Hungary

External links

*en icon, hu icon [http://www.valasztas.hu Országos Választási Iroda] (National Electoral Office)
**en icon [http://www.valasztas.hu/en/08/8_0.html Results]
*hu icon [http://index.hu/politika/belfold/2006/valasztas/ Online coverage of the elections] , with the latest poll results (Index.hu)
*hu icon [http://www.mno.hu/?pg=8&rvt=187 A Hungarian newspaper's coverage of the elections] (Magyar Nemzet)
*en icon, hu icon [http://www.vokscentrum.hu/ Vokscentrum.hu] ("Vote centre")