From municipalisation to centralism: Changes to local public service delivery in Hungary

Over the last quarter of a century the system of local government in Hungary has passed through several phases, from ‘Goulash communism’, through radical system change, to crises and ‘illiberal democracy’. A cross-sector analysis of developments in Hungary may provide a relatively extreme example of recent trends in the development of local government and local services in Europe; countries are trying to implement clearly defined models, notwithstanding the obstacles they encounter. The basic research underpinning this study is intended to provide a more or less complete account of developments in management of local services including public works and social services