János Martonyi published his proposal in 1946, during in the process of state organizational changes following World War II. The reform aimed at the modernisation of public administration, titled ‚The Reform of Local Self-Governments’. The reorganization of territorial administration, the re-establishment of locally organized local self-government units, and the reassignment of public tasks emerged as pivotal obligations for the political leadership in the aftermath of the Second World War. Numerous proposals were formulated, among which stands out the writing of János Martonyi. The study presents the historical-political context in which Martonyi’s proposal was formulated, specifically focusing on Hungary’s administrative structure before and after the World War II. It demonstrates the measures taken by the Interim National Government, the role of the local bodies of the Hungarian National Independence Front, and the tasks of the national committees. There was an overall consensus among the members of the Hungarian National Independence Front, which unified coalition parties, regarding the administrative reform. According to this, the parties agreed that local elections should be held as soon as possible, preferably in the autumn of 1946. They also reached an agreement that the democratic reform of the administrative structure would be one of the coalition’s most important agenda points. Martonyi considered an administrative arrangement that based on one hand on democratic foundations and on the other hand was simple and professional, to be an ideal type of organization. The twenty-five counties of Hungary were considered by the view of Martonyi as unsuitable as the basis for administrative territorial division. The proposal of the National Peasant Party was partially accepted, supporting the country’s division into seven districts. In place of the counties, he suggested districts in part and autonomous towns in other part, with approximately fifty districts and twenty autonomous towns. Generally, two districts would replace one county as a territorial administrative unit. Act XX of 1949 on the Constitution of the Hungarian People’s Republic established the state administrative system in a centralized manner following the Soviet model, did not recognize self-governance, entirely abolishing local democracy. The reform proposals formulated after the Second World War, unfortunately, did not come to fruition
