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1939 Hungarian parliamentary election

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1939 Hungarian parliamentary election

← 1935 28–29 May 1939 1944 →

All 260 seats in the Diet
131 seats needed for a majority
Turnout84.4%
  First party Second party Third party
 
Leader Pál Teleki Tibor Eckhardt Ferenc Szálasi
Party MÉP FKGP NYKP
Last election 164 seats, 44.6% 22 seats, 19.6% did not contest
Seats won 181 14 29
Seat change Increase17 Decrease8
Popular vote 1,824,573 569,054 530,405
Percentage 49.5% 15.4% 14.4%
Swing Increase4.9% Decrease4.2%

  Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party
 
Leader Árpád Szakasits Fidél Pálffy János Salló
Party MSZDP EMNSZP NF
Last election 11 seats, 6.7% did not contest did not contest
Seats won 5 4 3
Seat change Decrease6
Popular vote 126,637 78,806 64,355
Percentage 3.4% 2.1% 1.7%
Swing Decrease3.3%

  Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party
 
Leader Károly Rassay Károly Maróthy János Zichy
Party PSZP KNSZF EKP
Last election did not contest did not contest did not contest
Seats won 5 3 4
Seat change
Popular vote 58,639 57,533 56,943
Percentage 1.6% 2.4% 1.5%
Swing

Prime Minister before election

Pál Teleki
MÉP

Elected Prime Minister

Pál Teleki
MÉP

Parliamentary elections were held in Hungary on 28 and 29 May 1939.[1] The result was a victory for the Party of Hungarian Life, which won 181 of the 260 seats in Parliament (72 percent of the parliament's seats) and won 49 percent of the popular vote in the election. Pál Teleki remained Prime Minister.[2][3] This was a major breakthrough for the far-right in Hungary;[3] between them, far-right parties were officially credited with 49 seats and 25 percent of the vote.[4]

This was the closest thing to a free election that Hungary had seen at that point. According to historian Stanley G. Payne, the far right bloc would have almost certainly won more seats had the election been conducted in a truly fair manner, and possibly garnered an "approximately equal" seat count and vote share with the Party of Hungarian Life.[5]

Electoral system

The electoral system was changed from that used in 1935. The number of single-member constituencies was reduced from 199 to 135, whilst the number of multi-member constituencies was raised from 11 to 38.[6][7] Additionally, the franchise had been significantly expanded, with all men over 26 and all women over 30 now allowed to vote.[5]

Results

Party SMCs MMCs Total
Votes[a] % Seats Votes[b] % Seats Votes % Seats +/–
Party of Hungarian Life 766,694 51.3 112 1,057,879 48.2 69 1,824,573 49.5 181 +17
Independent Smallholders Party 228,571 15.3 1 340,483 15.5 13 569,054 15.4 14 –8
Arrow Cross Party 192,356 12.9 7 338,049 15.4 22 530,405 14.4 29 New
Social Democratic Party 12,630 0.8 0 113,607 5.2 5 126,637 3.4 5 –6
United Hungarian National Socialist Party 54,887 3.7 3 23,919 1.1 1 78,806 2.1 4 New
National Front 28,341 1.9 2 36,014 1.6 1 64,355 1.7 3 New
Civic Freedom Party 873 0.1 0 57,766 2.6 5 58,639 1.6 5
Christian National Socialist Front 40,114 2.7 1 47,419 2.2 2 57,533 2.4 3 New
United Christian Party 19,970 1.3 3 36,973 1.7 1 56,943 1.5 4 –11
Unofficial Party of Hungarian Life candidates 46,802 3.1 0 46,802 1.3 0 –6
Hungarian National Socialist Agricultural Labourers' and Workers' Party 13,010 0.9 1 23,127 1.1 2 36,137 1.0 3 New
National Reform Party 4,489 0.3 0 17,633 0.8 0 22,122 0.6 0 New
Christian National Independence Party 14,024 0.6 0 14,024 0.4 0 New
Hungarian National Socialist Party 10,872 0.7 0 10,872 0.3 0 –2
People's Will Party 8,970 0.1 1 8,970 0.2 1 0
National Smallholders, Craftsmen and Workers Party 6,110 0.4 0 6,110 0.2 0 New
Independent People's Party 3,568 0.2 0 3,568 0.1 0 New
National Agricultural Labourers, Craftsmen and Workers Party 3,453 0.2 0 3,453 0.1 0 New
Christian Opposition 2,384 0.1 0 2,384 0.1 0 –1
Hungarian Racist Party 1,288 0.2 1,288 0.0 0 New
Independents 22,898 1.5 4 4 22,898 6.2 8 –2
Invalid/blank votes 70,581 150,938 221,519
Total 1,546,130 100 135 2,343,992 100 125 3,908,122 100 260 +15
Registered voters/turnout 1,719,221 91.0 2,636,557 88.9 4,355,778[c] 89.7
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

a The number of votes refers to only 125 of the 135 single-member constituencies, as 10 seats were uncontested.[6]

b The number of votes refers to 36 of the 38 MMCs as two were uncontested.[6]

c The total number of registered voters was 4,629,493; the figure in the table refers to the number of registered voters in the contested seats.[6]

References

  1. ^ Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p899 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
  2. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p940
  3. ^ a b Georgi Karasimeonov. Cleavages, parties, and voters: studies from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. Pp. 70.
  4. ^ Payne, Stanley G. (1996). A History of Fascism, 1914-1945. Routledge. p. 275. ISBN 0203501322.
  5. ^ a b Payne, p. 275
  6. ^ a b c d Nohlen & Stöver, pp920-921
  7. ^ Nohlen & Stöver, p933