wh y w e l o s t
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I. CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE 1998 VICTORY OF
RIGHT-OF-CENTER PARTIES
The Process of Uniting the Right
A
fter the collapse of the political right in 1994, the post-Communist Hungarian
Socialist Party (MSzP) and its coalition partner, the Alliance of Free Democrats
(SzDSz), enjoyed a dominant political, economical and cultural position. Yet they
were unprepared for a quick and unprecedented reorganization of the right. One of the
lessons of the disastrous defeat in 1994 for the right was that the left could only be chal-
lenged by a politically united party. This was due to the mixed electoral system which,
similar to the situation in Germany, helps bigger parties while placing smaller ones at a
disadvantage.
After 1994 parliamentary elections, the parties on the center right rapidly learned their
lesson and soon formed an alliance that began to achieve promising results as early as
the fall municipal elections of that year. The real question was whether the cooperation
of a fragmented right could last through several elections and challenge the left. Another
dilemma facing the alliance was the question of which party would lead the coalition. A
party such as the Independent Smallholders’ Party (FKgP), with its roots dating back to
pre-Communist times, did not seem to be appropriate for this role due to its class-based
character, predominantly rural support and its chairman’s populist political style. The pre-
viously dominant Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) suffered a split in 1996, weaken-
ing its political effectiveness. Similarly, the Christian-Democratic People’s Party (KDNP)
also suffered from internal tensions. Thus Fidesz (then the Alliance of Young Democrats),
a small, yet united party with unyielding ideas, was left with the opportunity to assume
the role of unifier of the right.
This liberal, regime-changing, anti-Communist party, which was formerly a youth organi-
zation, gained 7% of the votes in the 1994 elections. It decided to abolish the age limit for
its members and began to develop a more western character, similar to the right-of-cen-
ter people’s parties. Viktor Orbán, thirty-two at the time, was elected leader of the party
and declared the party’s new identity to be liberal, center-right and civic. Spurning all
radical movements, Fidesz liberalism reflected traditional, nineteenth-century, Hungar-
ian national liberalism rather than the European mainstream ideology. Marking its new,
center-right identity, the party adopted a new name as of April 1995: Fidesz – Hungarian
Civic Party.
In 1996, Fidesz began uniting with other right-of-center parties in Hungary. This was
when talks between Fidesz and MDF, the former governing party, began. An agreement
was reached after a year and a half. By 1997, Fidesz had integrated the remnants of the
1990-1994 center-right coalition and was ready to challenge the ruling coalition. Political
integration found shape not only in contracts of cooperation but also on an ideological
level, as well. The backbone of the alliance’s structure, Fidesz, released its electoral pro-
gram in February 1998, forging an image for the center-right political partnership in less
than a year’s time.
