Electoral geographical approaches in Hungary 1990-2010

Mátyás Bódi Ferenc Bódi

Where are the voters?!- Low voting turnouts in Hungary -

Electoral Geography in Hungary

• Political geography as a unrecognised discipline during the socialist era (1949 – 1989)

• New research topic (1990- )• Spatial dimensions were rarely examined (lack of geographical

approaches)• Retrospective works• Regional political differences (regional political geography?) –

political parties and voting turnout

Electoral Geography in Hungary

• Historical and cultural determinism (László Hubai)• XXth century electoral atlas of Hungary;

Electoral Geography in Hungary

• The role of historical factors are still controversial…• „The changing result of the European and Hungarian

parliamentary elections shows that there is no strong and direct relation between the spatial result of the past and the future elections.” (Zoltán Hajdú;20061)

• Parallels between the spatial pattern of voting results and certain socio-economical indicator are under discussion (net income, level of urbanization and education, etc.)

BUT

• The outcomes have been changing since 1990 year by year in term of turnout and spatial variations of support for particular policies, but some constant and stable phenomena can be recognize!

1; A 20. századi magyar parlamenti választások választási földrajzi kérdései, Múltunk, 2006/I. 137-169.old. Budapest.

Election in Hungary since 1990 General Statements

• Relatively low turnout at every poll• Higher turnout at parliamentary elections;

1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010

parliamentary 64,99 68,92 56,26 70,53 67,83 64,36

local governmental 45,95 43,44 45,66 51,11 53,11 47,12

• There was no parliamentary elections with lower turnout as any local one!

• There is no continous trends, rising or falling degree of participation at the sequeantially years.

Election in Hungary since 1990 General Statements

1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010

BUDAPEST 71,11 74,25 63,63 77,52 74,55 69,74

COUNTY CITIES 67,54 71,11 59,18 73,4 70,14 65,61

REST OF CITIES 63,63 68,66 54,63 69,3 66,82 63,37

Cities pop.>10.000 inhab. 63,92 69,07 55,36 70,31 67,77 64,19

Cities pop.<10.000 inhab. 61,54 66,65 51,84 66,21 64,11 61,36

TOWNS 61,55 65,22 52,05 66,28 64,11 61,71

Towns pop.>10.000 inhab. 60,99 67,51 56,74 67,26 71,45 69,38

Towns pop. 3000-9999 inhab 59,39 63,37 49,42 65,19 63,33 61,92

Towns pop. 1000-2999 inhab 60,8 64,51 50,82 65,38 63,25 60,79

Towns pop. 500-999 inhab 65,31 67,77 55,6 68,23 65,53 62,03

Towns pop < 500 inhab 70,4 71,9 61,76 71,89 67,73 64,14

HUNGARY 64,99 68,92 56,26 70,53 67,83 64,36

Election in Hungary since 1990 General Statements

1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010

BUDAPEST 42,13 39,33 43,69 52,68 55,89 43,59

COUNTY CITIES 33,76 31,23 37,64 44,87 48,76 37,87

REST OF CITIES 44,01 39,58 41,92 47,44 49,84 44,07

Cities pop.>10.000 inhab. 36,32 38,11 40,86 46,5 49,52 42,37

Cities pop.<10.000 inhab. 50,32 46,41 45,97 50,3 50,62 48,30

TOWNS 59,34 54,61 53,79 56,92 57,34 56,06

Towns pop.>10.000 inhab. 36,76 38,93 40,06 43,24 52,33 42,92

Towns pop. 3000-9999 inhab 49,76 47,17 46,26 49,78 50,64 48,76

Towns pop. 1000-2999 inhab 58,55 56,14 54,74 57,13 56,72 56,09

Towns pop. 500-999 inhab 67,43 64,17 63,04 64,99 64,38 62,66

Towns pop < 500 inhab 76,22 71,51 70,59 73,04 71,54 70,83

HUNGARY 45,95 43,44 45,66 51,11 53,11 47,12

Election in Hungary since 1990 General Statements

Election in Hungary since 1990 General Statements

Election in Hungary since 1990 General Statements