Civic Participation in Hungary, Part 2

This article continues previous research on civil society in Hungary, focusing this time on an empirical analysis of citizens’ attitudes towards local government. The main goal is to assess the extent to which declared interest in local affairs translates into actual forms of participation in public life. The author hypothesizes the existence of a gap between citizens’ declarations and actions, resulting from institutional barriers (centralization, limited local government autonomy) and socio-cultural barriers (low trust, lack of transparency, fear of politicization). The analysis is based on quantitative and qualitative research conducted among Hungarian residents. The article provides a diagnosis of the state of local participation and suggests possible directions for strengthening it in conditions of limited democracy.