Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party

The Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (, MSZMP) was the ruling Marxist–Leninist party of the Hungarian People's Republic between 1956 and 1989.

The party had the same role as the ruling parties in other socialist countries: it ensured the control of a small elite through a large, hierarchical party structure that reached workplaces and had strong influence at the local level. The party had total power to choose parliament members and government officials, controlled the justice system, and its leaders made the final decisions on all levels of national and local politics. In short, the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party was the main group carrying out the orders and guidelines from the Soviet Union's Communist Party in a country occupied and controlled by the Soviets. Until 1989, it was the only legal political party in the country, controlling the government and lawmaking. Starting other parties was banned, and political opposition was suppressed and persecuted. 

During Hungary's transition to democracy, the party didn’t completely disappear but transformed and split into two parts: the hardliners formed the Hungarian Workers' Party, while those supporting democratization created the Hungarian Socialist Party, with the latter being the legal successor to the original party.

References

Category:1956 establishments in Europe
Category:1989 disestablishments in Europe
Category:Defunct political parties in Hungary
Category:Communist parties