Free at Last
In 1989, the Soviet empire began to crumble. In the following year, Hungarians voted in their first free election.
A non-Communist became the prime minister, or head of the government.
The Hungarian Communist Party, which changed its name to Socialist Party, was just another political party competing for votes.
The new government soon began to return many industries to private ownership.
By 1993, more then half of Hungarian industry was privately owned.
The change from a government-controlled economy to a capitalist system, or free-market economy, created new problems for the Hungarians. For the first time since the end of
World War II, there was unemployment. The old Communist system had provided people with job security, retirement pensions and health care. Now the average person had to take more responsibility for his or her own life. People were frightened about future.
Because of these problems, in 1994, the former Communists won the parliamentary election and a former
Communist became the prime minister.
The country did not return to the old days, however.
Hungary's leaders committed to the capitalist system.
And there were numerous political parties, which were ready to take over the leadership.
In 1998 The League of Young Democrats won the election and Victor Orban,
a young liberal leader became the prime minister.
In 2002 The Socialist party won the parliamentary election again and the prime minister became Peter Medgyesi. Hungary entered the Europien Union on May 1st 2004.
