Activity and role of the Hungarian National Group
of the Inter-Parliamentary Union
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is the oldest world organisation, currently composed of the legislative assemblies of 179 countries. It was established by Members of Parliaments from 9 countries (Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, Liberia, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States of America) on June 30th 1889, on the occasion of the first parliamentary conference held in Paris. Hungary, as one of the founding countries of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, celebrated a round jubilee of its founding membership on June 30th, 2019, on the 130th anniversary of the establishment of the international organisation.
From the outset, Hungary has been an active participant in international parliamentary diplomacy and co-operation. In the early 1890s, representatives of the Hungarian Parliament only participated in international IPU conferences as individuals. The Hungarian IPU Group, which operated in a temporary form between 1889 and 1895, became a permanent national group in 1895. On May 16th 1895, the Hungarian IPU Group was formed with 131 members. According to its Statues, it had members from the Upper House and the House of Representatives, as well as some former MPs. The first president of the Group was Mór Jókai, a writer, Member of Parliament and Member of the Upper House. His engaging personality and excellent speeches helped the international community better understand the issues Hungary faced at that time.
Since the establishment of the IPU in 1889, the Hungarian National Assembly has hosted the world organisation’s General Assembly on three occasions: in 1896, the 7th IPU Conference closing the Millennium celebrations, in 1936, the 32nd IPU Conference, and in March 1989, the 81th IPU Conference celebrating the 100th anniversary of the establishment of the international organisation. In addition, several IPU policy events have also taken place in Budapest; in 1983, on security issues; in 1993, on children’s rights, in 2004, on preparing the Speakers of Parliaments Summit and in 2009, on information and communication technology.
On the occasion of the 120th anniversary of the Hungarian National Group of the IPU, in November 2015 Saber H. Chowdhury, President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union visited Hungary. He delivered a welcome speech at the jubilee commemorative session of the National Group, opened the photo exhibition of the IPU together with the Speaker of the National Assembly, and presented the commemorative coin of the Hungarian National Assembly issued on the occasion of the anniversary.
In February 2017, the National Assembly co-organised a regional seminar with the IPU for the Parliaments of Central and Eastern European and Central Asian countries on Sustainable Development Goals, focusing in particular on climate change and water. The event was attended by the representatives of 23 countries. On the occasion of the seminar, the Hungarian IPU Group issued the publication of the IPU titled ‘Parliamentary Action Plan on Climate Change’ in Hungarian. At the 136th IPU General Assembly held in Bangladesh, the highly successful Hungarian poster exhibition titled ‘Youth for Sustainable Development’ was presented.
On June 4 2019, Gabriela Cuevas Barron, President of the IPU and Martin Chungong, Secretary General of the IPU paid an official visit to Hungary to attend the parliamentary commemorative event organised on the occasion of the 130th anniversary of the establishment of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the IPU membership of the National Assembly; as well as to participate in the celebration of issuing a parliamentary block of stamps, and to open a photo exhibition together with the Speaker of the National Assembly, which presented the history of the World Parliamentary Organization and the activities of the National Assembly within the IPU, in Hungarian and English.
A month later, in July 2019, the 130th anniversary photo exhibition of the National Assembly was also unveiled at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.
In 2020, on the occasion of the 195th anniversary of the birth of writer Mór Jókai, Member of Parliament and Member of the Upper House, a room was named after the first President of the Hungarian National Group of the IPU in the Parliament building. The inauguration of the Jókai Hall on December 16th 2020 was attended by Members of the seven-party Presidency of the Hungarian IPU Group.
The Hungarian National Group has been a member of the IPU as a body since 1990, and thus all Members of the Hungarian National Assembly are also Members of the Hungarian National Group. The Members of the Hungarian National Group of the IPU pay a single annual membership fee in an amount specified by the multi-party Presidium of the Group.
The Management Board – the Presidium since 2006 – of the IPU’s Hungarian National Group is constituted at the beginning of each parliamentary term. Between 2006 and 2010, the work of the Group was directed by a Management Board of seven elected members, and its Presidium consisted of six persons during the 2010–2014 term. The composition of the Presidium reflects the agreement between the Parliamentary Groups. The party with the largest group has the right to nominate the President of the Hungarian National Group of the IPU.
In accordance with Parliamentary Resolution 8/2018 which was adopted unanimously at the National Assembly’s session on June 4th 2018, the Hungarian National Group of the IPU was re-established, its Statutes were amended and its seven-party Presidium was elected. Since 2014, the President of the IPU’s Hungarian National Group has been Mr. Mihály Balla.
In Hungary, the main tasks of the IPU’s Hungarian National Group include assistance to support the work of bilateral and multilateral Friendship Groups established by MPs in the National Assembly, and, in the context of the National Assembly’s international relations, participation in its international activity.
The members of the National Group establish bilateral and multilateral Friendship Groups. The main task of the Friendship Groups is to promote and strengthen bilateral relations between the Hungarian National Assembly and other national Parliaments. One priority area within the Group's activity is the establishment and co-ordination of the work of bilateral and multilateral Friendship Groups. The activity of the Friendship Groups constitutes an integral part of bilateral parliamentary diplomacy, and, therefore, it is essential for maintaining the National Assembly’s foreign relations.
At the end of the 2002–2006 parliamentary term, there were 67 Friendship Groups, while in the 2006–2010 term there were 49, working at varying levels of intensity. In the 2010–2014 cycle, 69 Friendship Groups were established with about 300 MPs contributing to their work. Despite the reduction in the number of MPs sitting in the National Assembly, between the 2014-2018 parliamentary terms 85 bi- and multilateral Friendship Groups were in existence. At present, 82 Friendship Groups operate under the auspices of the Hungarian National Assembly. Organisational and administrative support for this activity is provided by the Directorate for Foreign Affairs of the Office of the National Assembly and, in particular, by the Secretariat of the IPU’s Hungarian National Group.
The role of the IPU in a national context
The Inter-Parliamentary Union is the only parliamentary organisation whose conferences are attended by participants representing each continent of the world. The Union is therefore well-suited to addressing and responding to global problems, particularly in its role as the parliamentary dimension of the UN.
Participants at IPU conferences include a growing number of Speakers and Deputy Speakers of Parliament, Committee Officers and other key figures playing important political roles in their respective countries. (In general, 50 to 70 Speakers of Parliament attend each IPU Assembly.)
The personal relationships established during IPU events can effectively contribute to the deepening of bilateral relations.
Any parliamentary delegation can influence the content of IPU decisions, resolutions or studies. As awareness of these documents is raised in the country, they may indirectly aid all MPs in their legislative work, improve their knowledge and familiarise them with how unique issues are managed at international level.
As an organisational framework, the IPU is suited to initiating actions that serve the interests of member states and complement and strengthen their foreign policy aspirations through the parliamentary process. One example is the initiative taken by the Hungarian IPU delegation in 1993 in respect of countries with populations of Finno-Ugric origin. In October 2008, as a result of a Hungarian-Polish motion, a V4 platform was also established under the auspices of the IPU with a view to co-ordinating the IPU delegations of Visegrad countries, and additional good opportunities also exist that can be further elaborated in the future.
The IPU is a forum through which MPs can inform other nations' delegates, both verbally and in writing, of the political, economic and social processes taking place in their home countries.
Members of Parliament attending IPU events may also conduct an exchange of professional views with representatives of the legislature of nations that they would not otherwise have the opportunity to meet with in person due to the significant geographical distance involved and the budgetary implications of travel.