1939 Hungarian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Hungary on 28 and 29 May 1939.[1] The result was a victory for the Party of Hungarian Life, which won 181 of the 260 seats in Parliament (72 percent of the parliament's seats) and won 49 percent of the popular vote in the election. Pál Teleki remained Prime Minister.[2][3] This was a major breakthrough for the far-right in Hungary;[3] between them, far-right parties were officially credited with 49 seats and 25 percent of the vote.[4]

1939 Hungarian parliamentary election

28–29 May 1939
All 260 seats in the Diet 131 seats needed for a majority
Turnout	84.4%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Pál Teleki Tibor Eckhardt Ferenc Szálasi Party MÉP FKGP NYKP Last election 164 seats, 44.6% 22 seats, 19.6% did not contest Seats won 181 14 29 Seat change 17 8 – Popular vote 1,824,573 569,054 530,405 Percentage 49.5% 15.4% 14.4% Swing 4.9% 4.2% –   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Árpád Szakasits Fidél Pálffy János Salló Party MSZDP EMNSZP NF Last election 11 seats, 6.7% did not contest did not contest Seats won 5 4 3 Seat change 6 – – Popular vote 126,637 78,806 64,355 Percentage 3.4% 2.1% 1.7% Swing 3.3% – –   Seventh party Eighth party Ninth party   Leader Károly Rassay Károly Maróthy János Zichy Party PSZP KNSZF EKP Last election did not contest did not contest did not contest Seats won 5 3 4 Seat change – – – Popular vote 58,639 57,533 56,943 Percentage 1.6% 2.4% 1.5% Swing – – –
Prime Minister before election Pál Teleki MÉP Elected Prime Minister Pál Teleki MÉP

This was the closest thing to a free election that Hungary had seen at that point. According to historian Stanley G. Payne, the far right bloc would have almost certainly won more seats had the election been conducted in a truly fair manner, and possibly garnered an "approximately equal" seat count and vote share with the Party of Hungarian Life.[5]

Electoral system

The electoral system was changed from that used in 1935. The number of single-member constituencies was reduced from 199 to 135, whilst the number of multi-member constituencies was raised from 11 to 38.[6][7] Additionally, the franchise had been significantly expanded, with all men over 26 and all women over 30 now allowed to vote.[5]

Results

Party	SMCs			MMCs			Total
	Votes^[a]	%	Seats	Votes^[b]	%	Seats	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
Party of Hungarian Life	766,694	51.3	112	1,057,879	48.2	69	1,824,573	49.5	181	+17
Independent Smallholders Party	228,571	15.3	1	340,483	15.5	13	569,054	15.4	14	–8
Arrow Cross Party	192,356	12.9	7	338,049	15.4	22	530,405	14.4	29	New
Social Democratic Party	12,630	0.8	0	113,607	5.2	5	126,637	3.4	5	–6
United Hungarian National Socialist Party	54,887	3.7	3	23,919	1.1	1	78,806	2.1	4	New
National Front	28,341	1.9	2	36,014	1.6	1	64,355	1.7	3	New
Civic Freedom Party	873	0.1	0	57,766	2.6	5	58,639	1.6	5	–
Christian National Socialist Front	40,114	2.7	1	47,419	2.2	2	57,533	2.4	3	New
United Christian Party	19,970	1.3	3	36,973	1.7	1	56,943	1.5	4	–11
Unofficial Party of Hungarian Life candidates	46,802	3.1	0	–	–	–	46,802	1.3	0	–6
Hungarian National Socialist Agricultural Labourers' and Workers' Party	13,010	0.9	1	23,127	1.1	2	36,137	1.0	3	New
National Reform Party	4,489	0.3	0	17,633	0.8	0	22,122	0.6	0	New
Christian National Independence Party	–	–	–	14,024	0.6	0	14,024	0.4	0	New
Hungarian National Socialist Party	10,872	0.7	0	–	–	–	10,872	0.3	0	–2
People's Will Party	8,970	0.1	1	–	–	–	8,970	0.2	1	0
National Smallholders, Craftsmen and Workers Party	6,110	0.4	0	–	–	–	6,110	0.2	0	New
Independent People's Party	–	–	–	3,568	0.2	0	3,568	0.1	0	New
National Agricultural Labourers, Craftsmen and Workers Party	3,453	0.2	0	–	–	–	3,453	0.1	0	New
Christian Opposition	–	–	–	2,384	0.1	0	2,384	0.1	0	–1
Hungarian Racist Party	1,288	0.2		–	–	–	1,288	0.0	0	New
Independents	22,898	1.5	4	–	–	4	22,898	6.2	8	–2
Invalid/blank votes	70,581	–	–	150,938	–	–	221,519	–	–	–
Total	1,546,130	100	135	2,343,992	100	125	3,908,122	100	260	+15
Registered voters/turnout	1,719,221	91.0	–	2,636,557	88.9	–	4,355,778^[c]	89.7	–	–
Source: Nohlen & Stöver

^a The number of votes refers to only 125 of the 135 single-member constituencies, as 10 seats were uncontested.[6]

^b The number of votes refers to 36 of the 38 MMCs as two were uncontested.[6]

^c The total number of registered voters was 4,629,493; the figure in the table refers to the number of registered voters in the contested seats.[6]

References

1. Dieter Nohlen & Philip Stöver (2010) Elections in Europe: A data handbook, p899 ISBN 978-3-8329-5609-7
2. Nohlen & Stöver, p940
3. Georgi Karasimeonov. Cleavages, parties, and voters: studies from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, and Romania. Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. Pp. 70.
4. Payne, Stanley G. (1996). A History of Fascism, 1914-1945. Routledge. p. 275. ISBN 0203501322.
5. Payne, p. 275
6. Nohlen & Stöver, pp920-921
7. Nohlen & Stöver, p933