The Historic Origins of the National Assembly in Hungary

Authors

  • Zoltán Szente Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest)

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17811/hc.v0i8.37

Keywords:

national assembly, Hungary, early parliaments, feudal diets

Abstract

The article examines the roots of Hungarian national assemblies. To discuss the changes of structure and functions from the establishment of the first deliberative assemblies up to the fully-developed feudal Diet, it suggests a conceptual framework for the ‘historic’ national assemblies. It argues that the roots of the modern Parliament can be traced back to those national assemblies which were no longer simply the occasional meetings of the ecclesiastic and secular aristocracy, but were instead assemblies summoned annually by the king in order to discuss and decide on public affairs of nationwide interest. Although some differences can be discovered between the functions of the earlier, the fully-developed feudal Diets and the modern representative Parliaments, there was an inherent logic in their development, namely, the gradual strengthening of the legislative function as well as the controlling of the Executive.

Submission date: 14/02/2007
Acceptance date:17/04/2007

Author Biography

Zoltán Szente, Eötvös Loránd University (Budapest)

Investigador del Hungarian Institute of Public Administration, Budapest, y del Departamento de Historia del Derecho húngaro en la Facultad de Derecho de la Eötvös Loránd University, de Budapest. Tiene como principales campos de investigación la Historia constitucional europea, la Historia del Derecho parlamentario y, las relaciones entre el gobierno central y local. Es autor o coautor de cinco libros, y más de 50 capítulos de libros y artículos publicados en seis idiomas.

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Issue

No. 8 (2007): Historia Constitucional N. 8 (2007)

Section

Europe and United States of America

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