The Hungarian Civil Service in the Context of International Trends

The article focuses on the Hungarian civil service. The aim of the research is to examine how Hungarian public service law, which has undergone continuous change over the last three decades, is adapted to international trends, especially those observed in Europe, including phenomena such as contracting, fragmentation and decentralisation. The hypothesis is that the Hungarian civil service adheres to international trends, while simultaneously exhibiting a distinctive approach to civil service employment. The study draws on a range of relevant primary and secondary sources, including legislation, explanatory memoranda, decisions of the Hungarian Constitutional Court, and Hungarian and international legal literature. The novelty of the analysis is that it attempts to identify the specific characteristics of contemporary Hungarian civil service law. Today, the Hungarian civil service has moved away from the traditional, closed civil service model. Its distinctive characteristics include the centralisation that has resulted from the concept of a “strong state”, the existence of “competing” legislative visions of the civil servant, the erosion of career stability and the devaluation of the concept of career. The author argues that in the Hungarian civil service, there is a need for a stronger emphasis on career values, relative stability and predictability, as well as limiting employer discretion.