Provincial Christian-Socialist Party
Encyclopedia
The Provincial Christian-Socialist Party was the main political party of ethnic Hungarians
in the First Republic of Czechoslovakia
.
It was founded on 23 November 1919 in Košice
, by the merger of Catholic associations from Bratislava
and Košice
, but the first party convention took place in Bratislava in March 1920. Its two main programmatic goals was the implementation of Slovak autonomy and the defence of the Christian ideology against communism. Its first leaders was Lajos Körmendy‐Ékes, a great landowner from Košice, B. Toszt, a canon
also from Košice, and Jenő Lelley, a lawyer from Nitra
.
Initially, there were two tendencies inside the party, one in favour of a closer cooperation with the Slovak People's Party
, which had refused in 1921 to renew the 1920 electoral alliance
with the Czechoslovak People's Party, and another keener to engage in narrower contacts with the Czechoslovak People's Party, a member of the government coalition in Prague
.
Lelley was a partisan of the second option, but after a few years he lost the internal battle and was expelled from the party with his followers. They went to the 1925 parliamentary elections
under the name West Slovakian Christian Socialist Party but got only 17,285 votes, not enough for a parliamentary seat.
On June 21, 1936 the party merged with the Hungarian National Party
into Egyesült Magyar Párt (EMP, United Hungarian Party) led by János Esterházy
as national executive chairman (until then leader of OKSZP) and Andor Jaross
as national chairman.
Hungarians in Slovakia
Hungarians in Slovakia are the largest ethnic minority of the country, numbering 520,528 people or 9.7% of population . They are concentrated mostly in the southern part of the country, near the border with Hungary...
in the First Republic of Czechoslovakia
First Republic of Czechoslovakia
-Independence:The Czechoslovak declaration of independence was published by the Czechoslovak National Council, signed by Masaryk, Štefánik and Beneš on October 18, 1918 in Paris, and proclaimed on October 28 in Prague...
.
It was founded on 23 November 1919 in Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, by the merger of Catholic associations from Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
and Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, but the first party convention took place in Bratislava in March 1920. Its two main programmatic goals was the implementation of Slovak autonomy and the defence of the Christian ideology against communism. Its first leaders was Lajos Körmendy‐Ékes, a great landowner from Košice, B. Toszt, a canon
Canon (priest)
A canon is a priest or minister who is a member of certain bodies of the Christian clergy subject to an ecclesiastical rule ....
also from Košice, and Jenő Lelley, a lawyer from Nitra
Nitra
Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
.
Initially, there were two tendencies inside the party, one in favour of a closer cooperation with the Slovak People's Party
Slovak People's Party
The Slovak People's Party was a Slovak right-wing party and was described as a fascist and...
, which had refused in 1921 to renew the 1920 electoral alliance
Czechoslovakian parliamentary election, 1920
Parliamentary elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 18 and 25 April 1920. The Chamber of Deputies was elected on 18 April and the Senate on 25 April. They were the first elections held under the Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920. The result was a victory for the Czechoslovak Social Democratic...
with the Czechoslovak People's Party, and another keener to engage in narrower contacts with the Czechoslovak People's Party, a member of the government coalition in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
.
Lelley was a partisan of the second option, but after a few years he lost the internal battle and was expelled from the party with his followers. They went to the 1925 parliamentary elections
Czechoslovakian parliamentary election, 1925
Parliamentary elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 15 November 1925. The result was a victory for the Republican Party of Agricultural and Smallholder People, which won 45 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 23 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 90.1% in the Chamber election and 77.3% for...
under the name West Slovakian Christian Socialist Party but got only 17,285 votes, not enough for a parliamentary seat.
On June 21, 1936 the party merged with the Hungarian National Party
Hungarian National Party (Czechoslovakia)
Hungarian National Party was one of political parties of ethnic Hungarians in the First Republic of Czechoslovakia.The party was founded in February 1920 in Komárno as party of smallholders, under name Országos Magyar Kisgazda és Földműves Párt...
into Egyesült Magyar Párt (EMP, United Hungarian Party) led by János Esterházy
János Esterházy
Count János Esterházy a member of the House of Esterházy was the most prominent ethnic Hungarian politician in former Czechoslovakia...
as national executive chairman (until then leader of OKSZP) and Andor Jaross
Andor Jaross
Andor Jaross was an ethnic Hungarian politician from Slovakia and collaborator with the Nazis....
as national chairman.
Electoral results
- 1920Czechoslovakian parliamentary election, 1920Parliamentary elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 18 and 25 April 1920. The Chamber of Deputies was elected on 18 April and the Senate on 25 April. They were the first elections held under the Czechoslovak Constitution of 1920. The result was a victory for the Czechoslovak Social Democratic...
: 139,355 votes, 2.3% - 5 seats (leader: Jenő Lelley Lelley) as the Hungarian and German Christian‐Socialist Party like its Social Democratic counterpartHungarian-German Social Democratic PartyThe Hungarian-German Social Democratic Party was a social democratic political party in Slovakia . It was founded in 1919 by social democrats from ethnic minority communities. The party had a German and a Hungarian section... - 1925Czechoslovakian parliamentary election, 1925Parliamentary elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 15 November 1925. The result was a victory for the Republican Party of Agricultural and Smallholder People, which won 45 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 23 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 90.1% in the Chamber election and 77.3% for...
: 98,383 votes, 1.4% - 4 seats (leader: Géza Szüllő) - 1929Czechoslovakian parliamentary election, 1929Parliamentary elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 27 October 1929. The result was a victory for the Republican Party of Agricultural and Smallholder People, which won 46 seats in the Chamber of Deputies and 24 seats in the Senate. Voter turnout was 90.2% in the Chamber election and 78.8% for...
: 257,231 votes, 3.5% - 9 seats (leader: Janos Esterházy) in an electoral coalition with the Hungarian National PartyHungarian National Party (Czechoslovakia)Hungarian National Party was one of political parties of ethnic Hungarians in the First Republic of Czechoslovakia.The party was founded in February 1920 in Komárno as party of smallholders, under name Országos Magyar Kisgazda és Földműves Párt...
and the German Party of the ZipsGerman Party of the ZipsThe German Party of the Zips was a party of the First Czechoslovak Republic founded at Kežmarok on 20–22 March 1920 aiming for the representation of the Zipser Germans minority in Czechoslovakia.... - 1935Czechoslovakian parliamentary election, 1935Parliamentary elections were held in Czechoslovakia on 19 May 1935. The result was a victory for the newly established Sudeten German Party, which won 44 seats in the Chamber and 23 in the Senate. Funded by the German Nazi Party, it won over two-third of the vote amongst Sudeten Germans...
: 291,831 votes, 3.6% - 9 seats (leader: Géza Szüllö) in the same electoral coalition as in 1929