This paper argues that the East Central European parties have already reached an early stage of maturation as a partial consolidation of a party system. In this respect the case of the Hungarian Socialist Party (HSP) is characteristic, since this party has gone through two drastic changes, first after an electoral defeat in 1990 and second after a landslide victory in 1994. The change by defeat was easier than the change by success, but against all the difficulties of economic crisis management the HSP has consolidated its social position and institutions, yet still remains weak as a programme party.
Ágh, Attila (1994) `The Hungarian Party System and Party Theory in the Transition of Central Europe', Journal of Theoretical Politics6: 217-238.
2.
Ágh, Attila (1995) `Partial Consolidation of the East-Central European Parties: The Case of the Hungarian Socialist Party', Party Politics1: 491-514
3.
Ágh, Attila and Sándor Kurtán (1995) `The 1990 and 1994 parliamentary elections in Hungary: Continuity and Change in the Political System', in Attila Ágh and Sándor Kurtán (eds) Democratization and Europeanization in Hungary: The First Parliament, 1990-1994, pp. 13-26. Budapest: Hungarian Centre for Democracy Studies.
4.
Ágh, Attila and Sándor Kurtán (1996) ` “Parliaments” and “Organized Interests” in Civil Society: Local Government Elections in Hungary, 1990-1994', in Attila Ágh and Gabriella Ilonszki (eds) Parliaments and Organized Interests in Central Europe: The Second Steps, pp. 255-279. Budapest: Hungarian Centre for Democracy Studies.
5.
Evans, Geoffrey and Stephen Whitefield (1995a) `Economic Ideology and Political Success: Communist-successor Parties in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary Compared', Party Politics1: 565-578.
6.
Evans, Geoffrey and Stephen Whitefield (1995b) `Social and Ideological Cleavage Formation in Post-Communist Hungary', Europe-Asia Studies47: 1177-1204.
7.
Gazsó, Ferenc and István Stumpf (1995) `Pártbázisok és a választói magatartástípusok' (Party Support and Types of Voters' Behaviour), in Sándor Kurtánet al. (eds) Political Yearbook of Hungary 1995, pp. 567-580. Budapest: Hungarian Centre for Democracy Studies,
8.
Gazsó, Ferenc (1996) `Volt egyszer egy állampárt' (There Was Once a State-party), Társadalmi Szemle33(11): 3-13.
9.
González Enríquez, Carmen (1995a) `Electoral Systems and Political Stability in Central and Eastern Europe', Budapest Papers on Democratic Transition, No. 132. Budapest: Hungarian Centre for Democracy Studies.
10.
González Enríquez, Carmen (1995b) `Electoral Behaviour in Central and Eastern Europe', Budapest Papers on Democratic Transition, No. 148. Budapest: Hungarian Centre for Democracy Studies.
11.
Ishiyama, John (1995) `Communist Parties in Transition: Structures, Leaders and Processes of Democratization in Eastern Europe', Comparative Politics27: 147-166.
12.
Janda, Kenneth (1994) `Restructuring the Party Systems in Central Europe', paper presented at the international conference, Democratization and Political Reform in Korea, Seoul, 19 November.
13.
Juza, Peter (1995) `The Formation of the Coalition “Common Choice” and its Election Results', in Sonja Szomolányi and Grigorij Meseznikov (eds) Slovakia: Parliamentary Elections, 1994, pp. 220-234. Bratislava: Slovak Political Science Association.
14.
Kopecký, Petr (1995) `Developing Party Organizations in East-Central Europe', Party Politics1: 515-534.
15.
Lewis, Paul (1994) `Political Institutionalisation and Party Development in Post-Communist Poland', Europe-Asia Studies46: 779-799.
16.
Linz, Juan and Alfred Stepan (1996) Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation: Southern Europe, South America, and Post-Communist Europe. Baltimore, MD and London: The Johns Hopkins University Press.
17.
Machos, Csilla (1996) `Die Nachfolgepartei als linke “Volkspartei”? Überlegungen am Beispiel der Ungarischen Sozialistischen Partei', in Dieter Segert (ed.) Spätsozialismus und Parteienbildung in Osteuropa nach 1989, pp. 191-216. Berlin: Berliner Debatte GSFP.
18.
Márkus, György (1995) `Reflections on the Central European Widening of Transnational Party Families', Budapest Papers on Democratic Transition, No. 136. Budapest: Hungarian Centre for Democracy Studies.
19.
O'Neil , Patrick (1996) `Revolution from Within: Analysis, Transitions from Authoritarianism, and the Case of Hungary', World Politics48: 579-603.
20.
Reisch, Alfred (1992) `Hungarian Socialist Party Looks Ahead', RFE/RL Research Report1(28), 10 July, 20-25.
21.
Rivera, Sharon Werning (1996) `Historical Cleavages or Transition Mode? Influences on the Emerging Party Systems in Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia', Party Politics2: 177-208.
22.
Schmidt, Andreas (1994) `Die Ungarische Sozialistische Partei, 1989-1994: Entstehung und Wandel einer “Nachfolgepartei” ', Südosteuropa34: 202-220.
23.
Segert, Dieter (1995) `Parties in the Transition to Democracy: The Case of East Central Europe', Budapest Papers on Democratic Transition, No. 149. Budapest: Hungarian Centre for Democracy Studies.
24.
Tôkés, Rudolf (1996) Hungary's Negotiated Revolution. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
25.
Waller, Michael (1995) `Adaptation of the Former Communist Parties of East-Central Europe: A Case of Social-democratization?', Party Politics1: 473-490.
26.
Wightman, Gordon (1995) `The Development of the Party System and the Break-up of Czechoslovakia', in Gordon Wightman (ed.) Party Formation in East-Central Europe: Post-Communist Politics in Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria, pp. 59-81. Aldershot: Edward Elgar.
27.
Wightman, Gordon and Sonja Szomolányi (1995) `Parties and Society in Slovakia', Party Politics1: 609-618.
28.
Zubek, Voytek (1994) `The Reassertion of the Left in Post-communist Poland', Europe-Asia Studies46: 801-837.
29.
Zukrowska, Katarzyna (1995) `Poland: Changes for the Better', in Bogdan Góralczyket al. (eds) In Pursuit of Europe: Transformations of Post-Communist States, 1989-1994, pp. 67-79. Warsaw: Polish Academy of Sciences.
