Within the ranks of Fidesz, a growing perception of losing the trust of the public has occurred and confidence about an election victory in 2014 is gradually waning. The party leadership is therefore making efforts to improve the election prospects of Fidesz by administrative means (e.g. redrawing electoral districts in a way that is favorable to the governing party). This notion is further underlined by the proposal of the prime minister to suspend the state funding of political parties, as well as by the plan to introduce the mandatory registration

You can read the full study here.

When speaking about the extension of right to vote to Hungarians living abroad, Croatia is usually labelled as a model to be followed. With a view to learn more about Croatian experiences, Political Capital asked Professor IVAN KOPRIĆ (Faculty of Law, head of the Study Centre for Public Administration and Public Finances, University of Zagreb, Croatia) and TIJANA VUKOJIĆIĆ TOMIĆ (Lecturer at the Public Administration Study, Faculty of Law, University of Croatia) via e-mail to share their knowledge regarding the issue.

Portuguese daily Público released an article based on Political Capital Institute’s analysis.

The new electoral law shifts the election system towards the majoritarian principle, thereby threatening future election results to become even more disproportional when comparing mandate proportions in Parliament to proportions of votes cast for party lists. The tendency per se can however not be interpreted as an injury to democracy. There are two major aspects of the law that fuel controversy: the suspicion of gerrymandering and the decision to compensate the winner in single-member-constituencies. The latter is a solution unknown to election systems in the rest of the world.

In 2002 and 2006 out-of-country votes had no influence on distribution of seats among Czech parties, however in 2010 one seat moved from one party to the other. MAREK ANTOS, Assistant Professor at Department of Constitutional Law, Faculty of Law, Charles University in Prague answered our questions via e-mail.

The draft electoral law submitted by János Lázár, leader of the governing party’s caucus, on 20 November can be described as a show of strength. On the majority of points the government has opted for the tougher options. It is not guaranteed, however, that Fidesz will be the party to benefit from all the changes.

Every state has the right to decide whether they wish to grant the right to vote to their citizens residing abroad. Throughout Europe, there are different responses to this problem depending on circumstances, history and the geopolitical environment. As Hungary is drawing up its new electoral system and considers offering the right to take part in parliamentary elections to Hungarians living abroad, the issue of out-of-country voting was the next on the Common Sense Society’s debate agenda.

Due to conflicting political interests, a sharp debate was under within Fidesz over a proposed electoral law. As it is difficult to foresee shifts in party system in coming years, governing party strategists find it hard to decide which electoral system would offer benefits to the party alliance led by Fidesz at the next one or two elections.

Knocking together a new electoral system, Fidesz-style