Participation and transition: Can the civil society project survive in Hungary?

Post‐Communist Hungary has seen the development of a statistically impressive array of civil, non‐profit associations. But organizational density is not necessarily an expression of a civil ethos. Many activists in the creation of autonomous associations lost interest after the first romantic fever of the democratic breakthrough. Many wage‐earners feel more helpless and dependent on their superiors in the new democracy than under state socialism. East‐Central European societies have yet to learn fully the skills, routines and patience required for sustained everyday participation. However, the second free elections in 1994 produced a coalition conducive to establishing balancing mechanisms between an over‐weight political society and a weakening civil society.