The “hacking” of a mixed electoral system: a case study of Hungary

Fanni Tanács-Mandák () and Attila Horváth ()
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Fanni Tanács-Mandák: Ludovika University of Public Service
Attila Horváth: Ludovika University of Public Service

Public Choice, 2025, vol. 204, issue 1, No 5, 75-99

Abstract: Abstract Following Hungary’s 2010 parliamentary election, the Fidesz–KDNP government, as part of a comprehensive restructuring of the country’s constitutional system, fundamentally modified the electoral system approved in 1989, maintaining the mixed system but introducing a number of significant changes to it. The paper seeks to provide a comparative analysis of the 1989 and 2011 electoral systems, with particular focus on how the ruling parties have adapted the new system to their own advantage. Our study aims to shed light on how an electoral system can be susceptible to manipulation through the application of political reasoning that may appear neutral and “well-intentioned”. Despite retaining the mixed-system framework, the changes resulted in a stable advantage for a single political force.

Keywords: Mixed electoral system; Electoral reform; Proportional representation; Hungary (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1007/s11127-025-01296-z

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