ABSTRACT
The Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), led by Jozsef Antall, was formed in September 1987, bringing together nationalists, populists, Christian Democrats and occupying a "centrist" position between the ruling Communist Party and the more radical opposition groupings. By 1989, the MDF had become more of a Volkspartei on the Gennan/Austrian model and had broken with the reform communists. A new phenomenon now re-entered the stage and was a useful consensus-building device at this crucial phase-nationalism. During the Kadar era, the regime had been persistently reluctant to let out the genie of nationalism, directed against other People's Democracies where Hungarians lived, such as Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia and above all, Romania. Hungarian parties were fragile and highly personalised. The Hungarian People's Party was founded in December 1991 and supports the rule of law, national reconciliation and a social market economy. Together, the Hungarian parties have close to 10 percent of the vote.
