The Prime Minister and the Government
Executive power rests in the Cabinet, headed by the Prime Minister. On the nomination of the President, Parliament elects the Prime Minister (currently Ferenc Gyurcsány). The President approves the other ministers on the recommendation of the Prime Minister. Various Ministries are divided up between the coalition partners according to their share in the parliamentary mandates (elections).
This system, adapted from the German legislative model, leaves individual ministers essentially unaccountable to the legislative branch.
Hungarian civil servants—some 800,000—need better protection from the political shifts that occur every four years. That is, the careers of professional civil service members are often jeopardized during changes of government. The dismissal of the Central Statistical Officehead in November 2003 is a case in point, underscoring the regularity with which political allies are rewarded with posts in public office. The previous Orban government crafted a law in 2001 intended to create a group of senior civil servants judged best qualified in the workforce; instead, Fidesz-HCU used it as a means of political remuneration. As one of its first acts in office, the MSzP-SzDSz coalition modified this legislation. The amendments sharpened the provisions to ensure the politically unbiased selection of this core officers group, especially by demanding a minimum of five years’ prior service and foreign language skills. That said, in 2003