The Transition to Democracy in Hungary: Árpád Göncz and the Post-Communist Hungarian Presidency

Unlike in other countries of Eastern Europe where the opposition to communism came in the form of single mass movements led by charismatic leaders such as Václav Havel and Lech Wałęsa, in Hungary the opposition was very fragmented, brought together and made effective only by the authoritative, significant but relatively unknown Árpád Göncz, who subsequently became Hungary’s first post-communist president.

This book charts the political career of Árpád Göncz, outlining the outstanding contri...