INTRODUCTION: THE LEGALCONSTITUTIONAL

BASIS OF LOCAL
GOVERNMENT IN HUNGARY AND ITS
MANAGERIAL REQUIRE
INTRODUCTION: THE LEGALCONSTITUTIONAL BASIS OF
LOCAL
GOVERNMENT IN HUNGARY AND ITS MANAGERIAL
REQUIRE
In western democratic systems the legitimacy of modern democratic states comes
from the commonly accepted and institutionalized rules of the democratic processes.
Paradoxically, the most visible and important trend in modern public administration is
its pursuit to improve the ef. ciency and effectiveness of its operations. In many cases
this desire tempts public administrators to depart from the existing legitimate
processes and institutions in such a fashion that would weaken, perhaps sometimes
even endanger democratic processes.
In central and eastern European transitional countries, such as Hungary, public
administration has had to face special challenges because both the creation of a political
democracy and the implementation of the principles of ef. ciency and effectiveness
have become crucial tasks of modernization at the same time.
Since the early l990s, fundamental changes have been introduced in public
administration in Hungary, in terms of private management methods and of the
commencement of an overall effort to reduce the scope of the state. The resultant
economic, political and social pressure on public administration has forced bureaucrats
to consider the requirements of legalism and managerialism at the same time.
Hungarian public administration now faces new challenges, which require new
approaches in the day-to-day running of services. The economic and political
environment has become increasingly complex, as society has become increasingly
fragmented. The modernization process caused dramatic changes in the social character
of the country with greater diversity in the population, increasing income disparity,
changes in family structure and lifestyles and growing safety concerns.