Who runs local government in Hungary?

Hungary has 3,178 elected municipal governments and 19 county governments plus Budapest, but since 2011–2013 central government has taken back many of their tasks, including running schools, hospitals and much administration. Mayors and councils are still directly elected (last in June 2024). Alongside them, Hungary has elected 'nationality self-governments' for its 13 recognised minorities.

Hungary · Unitary republic · Eastern Europe

The levels of government below the nation

Level	How it is chosen	What it does
Counties – vármegyék (19) and Budapest	County assembly directly elected (party lists); it elects its president	Since 2012 mainly territorial and development planning; hospitals, secondary schools and social institutions were moved to the state.
Government offices (20) and district offices – járások (174 + 23 in Budapest)	Heads appointed by central government	State administration close to citizens: documents, guardianship, many former municipal tasks.
Municipalities (3,178: villages, towns, 23 cities with county rights, Budapest's 23 districts)	Council and mayor (polgármester) directly elected for five years	Local services: kindergartens, roads, utilities, local planning, some social care.

Three questions about local power in Hungary

Are local leaders elected?

Mayors, municipal councils and county assemblies are directly elected for five-year terms (2014, 2019, 2024). The capital has a directly elected Lord Mayor. Heads of the government and district offices are appointed.

Which laws set up local government?

The Fundamental Law (Articles 31–35) and the 2011 Local Government Act (Act CLXXXIX) set the system. Nationality self-governments are also formal, under the 2011 Act on the Rights of Nationalities.

Who are local leaders accountable to?

Voters choose and can replace councils; the government offices check legality and can go to court; the State Audit Office audits finances. Central government also controls much of local money through grants.

Traditional and customary authority

There is no customary authority. Historic churches run many schools and social services under contracts with the state, but they have no governing role in local administration.

Community and neighbourhood power

The most distinctive bodies are the nationality self-governments (nemzetiségi önkormányzatok): Roma, German, Slovak, Croatian and other minorities elect their own local, regional and national bodies, which have rights in culture, education and language matters. Small villages under 2,000 people must share an administrative office; in 2021 there were 738 joint offices covering 82.6% of municipalities.

Points to know

The share of local government in all public staff spending fell from 50% in 2010 to 20.5% in 2020 as staff moved to state offices (OECD).
In 2013 the state took over the running of public schools from municipalities.
Counties were renamed vármegye, an older historical term, from 2023.
Local elections have been held together with European Parliament elections since 2024.

Local terms

Polgármester: Mayor, directly elected.
Járás: District office of central government, re-created in 2013.
Nemzetiségi önkormányzat: Elected self-government of a recognised national minority.

Sources

Constitution of Hungary (Fundamental Law) (2011, rev. 2016), Constitute Project, checked 14 October 2026
Hungary: country profile (territorial organisation, responsibilities, finance), OECD–UCLG World Observatory on Subnational Government Finance and Investment (SNG-WOFI), checked 14 October 2026
Local government elections, National Election Office (valasztas.hu), checked 14 October 2026
Nationality self-government elections, National Election Office (valasztas.hu), checked 14 October 2026