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The Hungarian Diet: Pillars of Power

A deep dive into the historical legislative body that shaped Hungary's destiny.

Overview 👇 Historical Sessions 📅

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Overview

The Supreme Legislative Institution

The Diet of Hungary, historically known as Parlamentum Publicum or Parlamentum Generale (Hungarian: Országgyűlés), stood as Hungary's paramount political assembly from the 12th century onwards. It evolved into the supreme legislative institution of the Kingdom of Hungary by the late 13th century and continued its function through its successor states, including Royal Hungary and the Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary, until the conclusion of World War II in 1946. The term "Diet" became prevalent in the early modern period, succeeding the medieval term "Parliament".

Historical Significance

The Diet convened periodically, with interruptions, from the 12th century until 1918, and then again until 1946. While the 1790 Diet stipulated meetings at least every three years, the Habsburg monarchy did not always adhere to this. Following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the Diet was reconstituted, reflecting its enduring importance in the nation's political landscape.

The Hungarian Nation (Natio Hungarica)

The term Natio Hungarica referred to the elite who participated in Hungary's political life. This included members of the clergy, elected representatives of the nobility from county assemblies, and envoys from Royal Free Cities, elected by their populace. This designation was a geographic, institutional, and juridico-political category, irrespective of the participants' mother tongue or ethnicity.

Comparison with English Parliaments

Supremacy of Statutory Law

In the medieval and early modern Kingdom of Hungary, laws enacted by the Diet (previously "Parliament") and sanctioned by the king held precedence over royal decrees. A royal decree could not override, suspend, or contravene a law passed by the Diet. This principle was recognized as early as the 13th century and formed a cornerstone of Hungary's historical constitutional framework. Hungarian estates consistently resisted absolutist attempts, asserting that royal ordinances required parliamentary consent to amend or repeal legislation.

Evolution of Parliamentary Power

In contrast, the principle of parliamentary supremacy over royal prerogative in England was firmly established much later, primarily after the Glorious Revolution of 1688. The English monarch's ability to issue proclamations or suspend laws without parliamentary consent was a source of significant conflict, culminating in the English Civil War. It was only with the Bill of Rights (1689) that parliamentary sovereignty was constitutionally affirmed, establishing statutory law's precedence over royal decree.

Development of the Diet

Early Origins

Some scholars trace the origins of Hungarian national assemblies back to the 11th century, citing assemblies held under Kings Ladislaus I and Coloman where ecclesiastic and secular dignitaries convened. The first documented use of the term "parlamentum" for a nationwide assembly appeared during the reign of King Andrew II, associated with the Golden Bull of 1222. This bull reaffirmed the rights of lesser nobles and established the "ius resistendi" (right to resist unlawful royal commands), laying groundwork for the Diet.

Medieval and Early Modern Evolution

An institutionalized parliament emerged in the 14th and 15th centuries. Initially convened by the king, its power fluctuated. Under autocratic rulers like Matthias Corvinus, parliaments often served to formalize royal decisions. However, the Jagiellonian dynasty saw the parliament regain significant power. The Diet of 1514, reacting to a peasant revolt led by György Dózsa, enacted laws condemning serfs to eternal bondage and increasing their obligations. In 1608, the Diet formally divided into two houses: the House of Magnates and the House of Representatives.

The Estates and Reform

Until 1848, the Diet operated as an Estates General (Rendi országgyűlés). Law-making was a shared right of the king and the Diet. The voting base expanded over time to include common nobility and representatives of Royal Free Cities. By the 16th century, the four estates were nobility, common nobility, clergy, and burghers. The 1848 Revolution brought an end to the Diet of the Estates, ushering in a unicameral National Assembly focused on popular representation and dismantling noble privileges.

List of Legislative Sessions

The following tables detail the historical legislative sessions of the Diet of Hungary, showcasing its long and continuous presence in the nation's political history.

Early Legislative Assemblies (11th Century)

Early Legislative Assemblies, 11th Century
Start date End date Location Details
1057 1057 Székesfehérvár The first known nationwide legislative assembly
1060 1060 Székesfehérvár
1061 1061 Székesfehérvár
1064 1064 Székesfehérvár
1074 1074 Székesfehérvár

Early Legislative Assemblies (12th Century)

Early Legislative Assemblies, 12th Century
Start date End date Location Details
1131 1131 Arad
1174 1174 Székesfehérvár

Parliamentary Sessions (13th Century)

Parliamentary Sessions, Kingdom of Hungary, 13th Century
Start date End date Location Details
1222 1222 Székesfehérvár The first assembly called "Parlamentum"
1231 1231 Székesfehérvár
1245 1245 Székesfehérvár
1267 1267 Székesfehérvár
1272 1272 Székesfehérvár
1277 May 1277 May Rákoš (First phase)
1277 August 1277 August Székesfehérvár (Second phase)
1289 1289 Székesfehérvár
1291 1291 Székesfehérvár
1299 1299 Székesfehérvár

Parliamentary Sessions (14th Century)

Parliamentary Sessions, Kingdom of Hungary, 14th Century
Start date End date Location Details
1305 1305 Székesfehérvár
1307 1307 Rákoš
1308 1308 Buda
1310 1310 Székesfehérvár
1320 1320 Székesfehérvár
1342 1342 Székesfehérvár
1351 1351 Buda
1382 1382 Székesfehérvár
1384 1384 Buda
1385 1385 Pest
1385 1385 Székesfehérvár
1386 1386 Székesfehérvár
1387 1387 Székesfehérvár
1397 1397 Temesvár

Parliamentary Sessions (15th Century)

Parliamentary Sessions, Kingdom of Hungary, 15th Century
Start date End date Location Details
1435 1435 Posonium (Pozsony / Bratislava)
1438 1439 Székesfehérvár
1440 1440 Székesfehérvár
1445 1445 Székesfehérvár
1459 1459 Szeged
1463 1463 Tolna
1464 1464 Székesfehérvár
1467 1467 Buda
1492 1492 Buda

Parliamentary Sessions (16th Century)

Parliamentary Sessions, Kingdom of Hungary, 16th Century
Start date End date Location Details
1505 1505 Rákoš
1506 1506 Székesfehérvár
1510 1510 Tata
1510 1510 Székesfehérvár
1525 1526 Székesfehérvár

Diets of Royal Hungary (1527–1699)

Diets of Royal Hungary, 1527–1699
Start date End date Location Details
1527 1528 Buda
1532 1532 Buda
1536 1536 Várad
1537 1537 Pressburg (Bratislava)
1542 1543 Besztercebánya (Banská Bystrica)
1545 1545 Nagyszombat (Trnava)
1547 1547 Nagyszombat
1548 1548 Pozsony (Pressburg / Bratislava)
1550 1550 Pressburg
1552 1552 Pressburg
1553 1553 Sopron
1554 1554 Pressburg
1555 1555 Pressburg
1556 1556 Pressburg
1557 1557 Pressburg
1559 1559 Pressburg
1563 1563 Pressburg
1566 1566 Pressburg
1567 1567 Pressburg
1569 1569 Pressburg
1572 1572 Pressburg
1574 1574 Pressburg
1575 1575 Pressburg
1578 1578 Pressburg
1581 1581 Pressburg
1583 1583 Pressburg
1587 1587 Pressburg
1593 1593 Pressburg
1596 1596 Pressburg
1597 1597 Pressburg
1598 1598 Pressburg
1599 1599 Pressburg
1600 1600 Pressburg
1601 1601 Pressburg
1602 1602 Pressburg
1603 1603 Pressburg
1604 1604 Pressburg
1608 1608 Pressburg
1609 1609 Pressburg
1613 1613 Pressburg
1618 1618 Pressburg
1622 1622 Sopron
1625 1625 Sopron
1630 1630 Pressburg
1635 1635 Sopron
1637 1638 Pressburg
1647 1647 Pressburg
1649 1649 Pressburg
1655 1655 Pressburg
1659 1659 Pressburg
1662 1662 Pressburg
1681 1681 Sopron
1687 1687 Pressburg

Diets during Habsburg Rule (1700–1867)

Diets during Habsburg Rule, Kingdom of Hungary (1700–1867)
Start date End date Location Details
1708 1715 Pressburg Continuously interrupted
1722 1723 Pressburg
1728 1729 Pressburg
1741 1742 Pressburg
1751 1751 Pressburg
1764 1765 Pressburg
1790 1791 Pressburg First phase not held in Pressburg
1792 1792
1796 1796 Convened to address French threat; voted to supply 50,000 men and provision Austrian army. Dissolved after nineteen sittings.
1802 1802 Discussed demands regarding the French Revolutionary Wars.
1805 1805 Resembled the 1802 diet.
1807 1807 Remarkable diet; added proposition for army readiness.
1811 1812
1825 1827 Pressburg
1830 Pressburg Crowned Archduke Ferdinand as King of Hungary.
1832 1836
1839 1840
1843 1844
1847 1847/8

House of Magnates

Composition of the Upper House

The House of Magnates (Főrendiház), akin to the British House of Lords, comprised hereditary members, high-ranking clergy, and, uniquely, deputized representatives from autonomous regions. Its membership was not fixed, allowing any qualified individual to sit. As of 1904, its composition included:

  • Princes of the royal house who had attained their majority (16 members).
  • Hereditary peers paying at least 3,000 florins annually in land tax (237 members).
  • High dignitaries of the Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches (42 members).
  • Representatives of Protestant confessions (13 members).
  • Life peers appointed by the Crown (up to 50) and life peers elected by the House itself (73 members total).
  • Various state dignitaries and high judges (19 members).
  • Three delegates from Croatia-Slavonia.

House of Representatives

The Lower House and Franchise

Historically, the members of the House of Representatives were elected noble envoys from the kingdom's counties, elected envoys from the Royal Free Cities, and envoys from the lower clergy. Following the Electoral Law of 1874, the House comprised 453 members: 413 deputies elected in Hungary and 40 delegates from Croatia-Slavonia. Their terms lasted five years, and they received remuneration.

Limited Suffrage and Representation

The franchise was notably restrictive, described by the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition as "probably the most illiberal in Europe". Only about 6% of the working classes and 13% of the small trading class possessed the vote, representing just 6% of the total population. This limited suffrage meant that ethnic minorities often played a key role in electing pro-compromise liberal parties, while Hungarian nationalist parties, supported by the majority of ethnic Hungarian voters, frequently remained in opposition.

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References

References

  1.  András Gergely, Gábor Máthé: The Hungarian state: thousand years in Europe (published in 2000)
  2.  Elemér Hantos: The Magna Carta of the English And of the Hungarian Constitution (1904)
  3.  Cecil Marcus Knatchbull-Hugessen Brabourne (4th Baron): The political evolution of the Hungarian nation: (Volume I. in 1908)
  4.  Bak, János M., ed. Decreta Regni Mediaevalis Hungariae: The Laws of the Medieval Kingdom of Hungary, 1000–1301. Charles Schlacks, Jr. Publishers, 1999, p. 200.
  5.  Kontler, László. A History of Hungary: Millennium in Central Europe. Palgrave Macmillan, 2002, pp. 149–154.
  6.  Kenyon, J.P. The Stuart Constitution: Documents and Commentary. Cambridge University Press, 1986, pp. 205–210.
  7.  Goldsworthy, Jeffrey. The Sovereignty of Parliament: History and Philosophy. Oxford University Press, 1999, pp. 85–90.
  8.  Dr. Zoltán SZENTE: The Historic Origins of the National Assembly in Hungary| [1]
  9.  1222. április 24. | II. András kiadja az Aranybullát Fehérváron
A full list of references for this article are available at the Diet of Hungary Wikipedia page

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