<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

<p>In 1990, a decentralized local government system was introduced in Hungary. One of the main issues of the system was fragmentation at local level. This paper examines the attempts made by the central government to deal with this issue in the last thirty years. First, the study analyses the municipal splits and maps the dynamics, the reasons, and the environmental and political factors affecting these secessions. Second, it examines the government’s attempts at reform to reduce the effects of fragmentation.</p>
<p>The paper argues that the Fidesz-KDNP electoral victory in 2010 was a milestone in the handling of territorial issues: municipal splits became virtually impossible with the new regulation of the secession process, and <italic>de facto</italic> territorial consolidation reform was carried out through alteration of the local electoral system and functional rescaling and merging of the mayors’ offices.</p></abstract>

In 1990, a decentralized local government system was introduced in Hungary. One of the main issues of the system was fragmentation at local level. This paper examines the attempts made by the central government to deal with this issue in the last thirty years. First, the study analyses the municipal splits and maps the dynamics, the reasons, and the environmental and political factors affecting these secessions. Second, it examines the government’s attempts at reform to reduce the effects of fragmentation.
The paper argues that the Fidesz-KDNP electoral victory in 2010 was a milestone in the handling of territorial issues: municipal splits became virtually impossible with the new regulation of the secession process, and de facto territorial consolidation reform was carried out through alteration of the local electoral system and functional rescaling and merging of the mayors’ offices.

<bold>Municipal splits</bold> and hidden amalgamations in Hungary

Miscellanea Geographica

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

{"article-title":{"bold":"Municipal splits","content":"and hidden amalgamations in Hungary"}}

In 1990, a decentralized local government system was introduced in Hungary. One of the main issues of the system was fragmentation at local level. This paper...

Municipal splits and hidden amalgamations in Hungary

Published Online: Nov 17, 2020

Page range: 37 - 45

Received: Apr 27, 2020

Accepted: Jul 01, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2020-0035

Keywords
Local government, municipal split, local reform, Hungary

© 2021 Gábor Dobos, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Municipal splits and hidden amalgamations in Hungary

Published Online: Nov 17, 2020

Page range: 37 - 45

Received: Apr 27, 2020

Accepted: Jul 01, 2020

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/mgrsd-2020-0035

KeywordsLocal government, municipal split, local reform, Hungary

© 2021 Gábor Dobos, published by Sciendo

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

Keywords
Local government, municipal split, local reform, Hungary