National consultations: A mix of old and new technology in Hungary

A new TROPICO project brief is posted by CPS researchers Agnes Batory and Sara Svensson about the Hungarian National Consultation.

"The Hungarian National Consultation website is an online platform that allows Hungarian citizens to submit answers to sets of questions posed by the government. “National Consultations” have been organized with some regularity since the Fidesz party came into power in 2010. They started as paper-based questionnaires sent out by mail to all households in the country, but recent consultations have added a web-based option. While several private companies were involved in the development and technical implementation of the online consultation, the site appears to be formally owned by the Hungarian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and jointly operated by the PMO and the New Land Media and Lounge Design companies. The funding comes directly from the state budget.

Aims and scope

The Hungarian National Consultation is national in scope and does not break down results based on territorial reference. The online platform is available to anyone with internet access, which four fifth of Hungarian households have. In a country known for excessive regulatory activity, it is striking that there is no legislation specifically regulating the consultation/s and the online platform.'

Continue reading the study on the on the TROPICO project website.