The Elections to the New Hungarian Parliament

In: American political science review, Volume 21, Issue 2, p. 381-388

Abstract

When, on January 29, 1927, Admiral Horthy, regent of Hungary, formally opened the reconstructed parliament, declaring that "the happy consolidation of the country permits the reëstablishment of the system of two chambers which corresponds to the national tradition," a far-reaching step in constitutional restoration was completed. The revival of the oldest parliament in Europe marks the culmination of a political movement which has been in process for the last seven years, and definitely closes a phase, albeit a retrogressive one, in Hungarian constitutional development. The elections which preceded this latest phase of restoration, following hard upon the constitutional revamping of both chambers, are, therefore, significant; they provide, in addition, an interesting example of governmental pressure, upper class control, and oral voting in the midst of a world habituated to the concepts of popular sovereignty, universal suffrage, and the secret ballot.