Page 56 - The Voyage of Hungarian Christian Democracy - Edited by Mária Rita Kiss

is an ideology inspired by Christianity, the practical politics pursued in its name is
emancipated from church influence. The historical background in Hungary reflects a
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similarly diverse picture. While Christian politics between the two world wars mostly
comprised political Catholicism characterized by a conservative, church-oriented approach,
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the democratic people’s party approach that originated in the reform ideas of the 1930s and
took off after World War II strove to distance itself from political Catholicism, this often
ultra-conservative approach. In a move to get closer to contemporary Western European
Christian democratic approach to politics and society, the KDNP defined its characteristic
features as a combination of Christian principles, democracy and the rule of law . Thus when
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the KDNP of 1989-90 cited the historical heritage of the Barankovics party, it actually referred
to a secular, democracy-compliant way of making politics while being a worldview party.
However, after that it was up to the party to update and define the meaning of its worldview
party nature in Hungary of the 1990’s.

The first element of this worldview party nature was the choice of the party’s
name. The “Christian democratic” attribute that had been removed in 1945 owing to tactical
considerations was now taken back, underscoring the party’s ideological stand. The terms
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used in the party’s communication were another manifestation of the worldview party nature.
Describing the phenomena of society and politics, the party documents used terms of neo-
Thomism that originated in the Catholic church’s social teachings and were also associated

with personalist philosophy. Examples of such terms included common good, subsidiarity or
personalism. Similarly, the KDNP’s diagnosis of the regime in the late Kadar-era also
suggested a Christian approach to society. According to that diagnosis, Hungarians were
forcefully separated from Christian Europe during the years of Soviet-style socialism but now
the country has a historic opportunity to return to its roots and catch up with Western
Christian democracy. The chance is there because Hungarian society “held on to its Christian
faith” and because a political party is now on the scene that will be able to integrate and
represent the interests of the faithful masses in the new political system. In the first issue of
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Hazánkért [For our Homeland] periodical, Sándor Keresztes described this role as the
KDNP’s historic mission: “In this period of transition, the mission of the Christian Democratic

256 Jenő Gergely: A kereszténydemokrácia Magyarországon. [Christian Democracy in Hungary] Múltunk. 2007/3, p. 115. Hereinafter: Gergely. Further: Zoltán
K. Kovács: A kereszténydemokrácia útjai I-III. [The Ways of Christian Democracy.] MNL OL P2246 Heritage of Zoltán K. Kovács. Item 56 (Box 52). A collection of
newspaper articles related to Christian Democracy. Hereinafter: Zoltán K. Kovács: The Ways of Christian Democracy.
257 According to Jenő Gergely, Prohászka strove to gain theoretical acceptance for Christian democracy within the Church, while the other lone warrior in the
movement’s history, Sándor Giesswein made unsuccessful attempts to achieve the same in public life. Gergely. op. cit. p. 123.
258 József Debreczeni: A KDNP meg a „belga kormány”. [The KDNP and the “Belgian” government.] Magyar Nemzet daily, 16 December 1995. december 16. In.
Id.: Restauráció [Restoration]. Széphalom Publishing House, 1996.
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The party referenced as the historical predecessor was originally established under the name Christian Democratic People’s Party and took up the name
Democratic People’s Party under István Barankovics’s presidency. The re-founded party was mentioned as Christian and Democratic Party in the first
documents of the political transition era of the late 1980s; it took up the name Christian Democratic People’s Party in 1989. Regarding the choice of name, the
following explanations are available: According to Sándor Keresztes, the addition of the “Christian” attribute was necessitated by the fact that another
organization, the Magyar Néppárt [Hungarian People’s Party] already reserved the “people’s party” element. Cf. Letter by Sándor Keresztes to the Executive
Board of the Hungarian Democratic Forum dated 26 April 1989. MNL OL P2246 Heritage of Zoltán K. Kovács. Item 3 (box 8). Letters from various personnel to
Zoltán K. Kovács. According to a subsequent explanation rendered by Zoltán K. Kovács, both name changes (i.e. by Barankovics and in 1989) had tactical
reasons. In the late 1940s, the “Christian” attribute was removed to avoid drawing unnecessary attacks. Vice versa, in 1989, the attribute was taken back owing
to the same reason, to indicate clearly the appearance of the Christian democratic thought. Interview with Zoltán K. Kovács in the Magyar Nemzet daily. A
kereszténydemokráciának új utakat kell keresnie [Christian Democracy Must Seek New Ways]. 28 October 1992. MNL OL P2246 Heritage of Zoltán K. Kovács.
Item 56 (Box 52). A collection of newspaper articles related to Christian Democracy. György Szakolczai considered the name change from Christian and
Democratic People’s Party to Christian Democratic People’s Party politically advantageous because, as he believed, it expressed that the party simply applied a
political term instead of taking faith into politics. Status assessment by György Szakolczai on 15 August 1989. MNL OL P2246 Heritage of Zoltán K. Kovács. Item
3 (box 8). Letters from various personnel to Zoltán K. Kovács.
260 Domestic policy status assessment by Zoltán K. Kovács. p. 9. MNL OL P2246 Heritage of Zoltán K. Kovács. Item 3 (box 8). Letters from various personnel to
Zoltán K. Kovács.

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