ABSTRACT
The Office of the Hungarian National Assembly is a single, independent administrative body, supervised by the President of the National Assembly. It provides administrative, legal, communication, security and technical support for the unicameral Assembly. The first major step in the evolution of three decades ago was characterized by the gradual transition of the political system from socialist dictatorship to democracy. Before the regime change, there was no need for a professional parliamentary organization with well trained staff to assist the legislation, as the National Assembly had no weight in policy-making, and its sessions were few and far between. The Office enjoys full institutional independence within the Hungarian public administration. The Speaker supervises its activities, external bodies, like the Government, have no influence on its operation. The primary functions of the Office are centralized in the largest unit, the Directorate for Legislation and its five departments.
