Party of the Hungarian Coalition

The Party of Hungarian Coalition (SMK-MKP) is the common, legitim political representative of the Hungarian community in the Slovak Republic. The party came into existence on 22 June 1998 by the unification of the three Hungarian political subjects in Slovakia, namely

the Hungarian Christian Democratic Movement,
the political movement Coexistence
and the Hungarian Civic Party.

In accordance with the party statutes (adopted on 13 November 1999), the Party of Hungarian Coalition is a people’s party.

The Party of Hungarian Coalition expressed the immense interest of integration into the European People’s Party and the European Democrat Union. The party is the Associate member of the European People’s Party since 7 June 2000 and the full member of the European Democrat Union since January 2001. Of course, the full membership in the EPP after May 2004 makes up the priority of the international affiliation of our party. The Party holds full membership in the Federal Union of European Nationalities (FUEN) based in Flensburg, Germany, where it represents the whole Hungarian community living in Slovakia.

Following the 2002 parliamentary elections in Slovakia the Party of Hungarian Coalition joined the Slovak Governing Coalition for the second time (after 1998-2002 term), obtained 321 069 votes (11,16% of all the votes) and now the party is the most stabile political party in the Governing Coalition. The party has 4 ministers ( Pál Csáky - Deputy Prime Minister for European Integration and Minority Rights, László Miklós - Minister of Environment, László Gyurovszky - Minister of Construction and Regional Development and Zsolt Simon - Minister of Agriculture ) and 6 state secretaries (Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Construction and Regional Development ) in the Slovak Government. There are 20 parliamentarians of our party in the Slovak Parliament and Mr. Béla Bugár, the president of the Party of Hungarian Coalition is the Vice-President of the National Council of the Slovak Republic.

The primary party organisations make up the basis of the party. By the end of March 2003 the number of these local organisations was 521 and the number of members was 10 983. The Congress is the highest organ of the party. Between the two Congresses the highest organ of the party is the National Council. Each elected functionary and body gets elected in form of democratic, secret elections. The party leadership of the districts co-ordinates the work of local institutions within district.

The chairman of the party is Pál Csáky.

Except the minority issues, the recommendations for the solution of other social, political issues comprise significant part of the program of the Party of Hungarian Coalition. They are in connection with the improvement, restructuring of economy of the country, building market economy, support for the euroatlantic integration of the country, and legislative, economic, and political issues connected with the integration. As far as the support for the country’s integration, democratisation and western orientation is concerned the electorate of the Party of Hungarian Coalition is overwhelmingly in favour of these issues as the most western oriented community in the Slovak Republic.