The national coordination of eu policy in hungary: Patterns of continuity and change

Although European Union (EU) membership generates similar functional pressures for national administrations, member states developed institutional arrangements that show marked cross-country variation in the coordination of EU policy. This article examines and assesses the institutions and mechanisms established in Hungary for formulating policy positions on the domestic level. In line with the general features of central government, the system is highly centralized and hierarchical, and has been characterized by a comprehensive coordination ambition from its inception. The case confirms the primary importance of national institutional factors for shaping coordination systems, but also the relevance of more actor-centered explanations for accounting for changes in the top decision-making tier. At the same time, the Hungarian experience also draws attention to power relations within governing parties and prime ministerial involvement as important variables so far relatively neglected in the literature.