Policy Solutions has a long history of providing international audiences with meticulous analyses of Hungarian political life. Now, for the first time we present, in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, an annual review of Hungarian politics. This is a comprehensive overview of recent developments, events and trends in Hungary in 2014. 

The target audience of this publication is students and academics, journalists, diplomats or international organisations. In other words, anyone who has an interest in the political, economic and social landscape of Hungary in 2014, be it a detailed analysis of elections results, major policy changes or recent developments concerning democracy. It is important to stress that our review is not chronological and does not claim to be exhaustive in its scope, rather it reflects our selection of the major developments over the past twelve months.

In particular, we focus on four broad areas, presenting distinct developments in each. In the first section we review the three nationally held elections in 2014: the parliamentary election in April, the EP election in May and the municipal elections in October. In the second section we look at the party system as it has evolved, focusing especially on the opposition parties, their state and prospects. The third section focuses on foreign relations, in particular the Orbán government's efforts to deepen the country's ties with eastern powers including Russia, and the impact of this policy on relations with its western partners. Finally, we take a detailed look at how Fidesz's policies have shaped the economy and society in Hungary, and discuss its relations with civil society and the media. All of the sections conclude with a brief analysis of the issues which may come to the fore in 2015.

The joint annual political review of Friedrich Ebert Stiftung and Policy Solutions was launched on 23 January 2015 at the Budapest Music Center. See the programme here. 

"Hungarian Politics in 2014" can be downloaded from here.