1994 Hungarian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Hungary on 8 May 1994, with a second round of voting in 174 of the 176 single member constituencies on 29 May.[1][2] They resulted in the return to power of the Hungarian Socialist Party, the former Communist party, under the leadership of Gyula Horn, who became Prime Minister. The Socialists achieved a remarkable revival, winning an overall majority of 209 seats out of 386, up from 33 in 1990.

1994 Hungarian parliamentary election

8 May 1994 (first round) 29 May 1994 (second round)
All 386 seats to the Országgyűlés 194 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	68.92% (first round) 55.12% (second round)
First party Second party Third party   Leader Gyula Horn Gábor Kuncze[lower-alpha 1] Péter Boross[lower-alpha 2] Party MSZP SZDSZ MDF Last election 10.89%, 33 seats 21.40%, 94 seats 24.73%, 164 seats Seats won 209 69 38 Seat change 176 25 126 Popular vote 1,781,504 1,065,889 633,770 Percentage 32.99% 19.74% 11.74%   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader József Torgyán László Surján Viktor Orbán Party FKGP KDNP Fidesz Last election 11.73%, 44 seats 6.46%, 21 seats 8.95%, 22 seats, Seats won 26 22 20 Seat change 18 1 2 Popular vote 476,272 379,523 379,344 Percentage 8.82% 7.03% 7.02%
Results of the election. A darker shade indicates a higher vote share. Proportional list results are displayed in the top left.
Prime Minister before election Péter Boross MDF Prime Minister after election Gyula Horn MSZP

The governing Hungarian Democratic Forum was severely defeated, falling from 165 seats to 38 for third place. It was also a disappointment for the principal opposition party of the previous parliament, the Alliance of Free Democrats, which failed to capitalize on the government's unpopularity and lost seats. Poor economic performance, apparent government incompetence and a certain nostalgia for the social security of the communist era appear to be the main reasons for the result, together with significant reform of the Socialists' policies, with commitment to the expansion for the market economy and continued compensation for the victims of communism.

While the Socialists had enough seats to govern alone, Horn decided to form a coalition with the Free Democrats, giving him a two-thirds majority. This was partly to assuage public concerns inside and outside Hungary over an ex-Communist party with an absolute majority, and partly to get his reform package past his own party's left wing.