1920 Hungarian parliamentary election explained

Country:Hungarian Republic (1919–20)
Previous Election:1910
Next Election:1922
Majority Seats:83
Election Date:January 1920–October 1921
First Election:yes
Nopercentage:yes
Seats1:112
Party2:Christian National Union Party
Seats2:82
Seats3:6
Seats4:3
Party5:Christian National Party (Hungary)
Seats5:2
Seats6:1
Seats7:1
Party8:Independents
Leader8:
Seats8:12
Prime Minister
Posttitle:Prime Minister after election
Before Election:Károly Huszár
Before Party:KNEP
After Election:Sándor Simonyi-Semadam
After Party:KNEP

Parliamentary elections were held in Hungary on 25 and 26 January 1920.[1] However, they were only held in 164 districts.[2] After the Treaty of Trianon was signed, the 44 districts previously occupied by Romania voted between 13 June and 5 July, whilst the 11 districts occupied by Serbia did not vote until 30 and 31 October 1921.[3] The election was held with compulsory voting. In protest at this and other changes to the franchise that left 60% of the voting age population unable to vote, the Hungarian Social Democratic Party boycotted the elections,[4] and called for its supporters to cast invalid votes, resulting in an unusually high number of blank or invalid votes – 12% in the January elections and over 20% in Budapest and other major cities.[1]

The National Smallholders and Agricultural Labourers Party and the Christian National Union Party won 194 of the 219 seats and formed a coalition government on 15 March.[5] However, it lasted only until 4 June when the Treaty of Trianon was signed.[5]

Notes and References

  1. [Dieter Nohlen]
  2. Hubai László (2001) Magyarország XX. századi választási atlasza I., p21
  3. Nohlen & Stöver, p900
  4. Nohlen & Stöver, p875
  5. Nohlen & Stöver, p876