Democratic Community of Welfare and Freedom

{{Infobox political party

|country = Hungary

|name = Democratic Community of Welfare and Freedom

|native_name = Jólét és Szabadság Demokrata Közösség

|logo = Logo of the Democratic Community of Welfare and Freedom.svg

|flag = 200px

|president = László Sass

|foundation = 8 April 2011

|dissolved = June 2023

|predecessor = Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF)

|ideology = Liberal conservatism
Christian democracy

|position = Centre-right

|international =

|european =

|europarl =

|colours = Green, brown

|colorcode = {{party color|Democratic Community of Welfare and Freedom}}

|headquarters = 1092 Budapest, IX. Ferenc körút 8. Pincehely 1. ajtó

|website = {{URL|http://jesz.hu/}}

}}

The Democratic Community of Welfare and Freedom ({{langx|hu|Jólét és Szabadság Demokrata Közösség}}, {{IPA|hu|ˈjoːleːt ˈeːʃ ˈsɒbɒt͡ʃːaːɡ ˈdɛmokrɒtɒ ˈkøzøʃːeːɡ|pron}}), abbreviated to JESZ, was a centre-right political party in Hungary. It had a liberal conservative and Christian democratic ideology. The party was the legal successor to the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF).[http://www.politics.hu/20110912/scandals-squabbling-continue-to-rock-former-hungarian-democratic-forum/ Scandals, squabbling continue to rock former Hungarian Democratic Forum] From 2014 to its eventual dissolution nine years later, the party became inactive.

History

The Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF), which had governed Hungary between 1990 and 1994, received only 2.67% of the vote and failed to win any parliamentary seat in the 2010 parliamentary election. Party president Ibolya Dávid immediately resigned and retired from politics.[http://www.origo.hu/itthon/valasztas2010/kampanynaplo/20100411-david-ibolya-lemond-az-mdfelnoksegrol.html Dávid Ibolya lemond az MDF-elnökségről], Origó, 11 April 2010 Upon her resignation, Károly Herényi served as interim party president until the congress on 10 June 2010, when Zsolt Makay was elected the new leader of the now extra-parliamentary MDF.[http://hvg.hu/itthon/20100620_makay_zsolt_mdf_elnoke Makay Zsoltot választották az MDF elnökének] – HVG, 2010. június 20. In December 2010, the newly elected leadership decided to transform the party and adopted a new name, Welfare and Freedom (JESZ) on 12 December 2010.[http://www.origo.hu/itthon/20101212-megvaltoztatta-nevet-az-mdf.html Megváltoztatta nevét az MDF] – Origó, 12 December 2010. The party's congress approved the change of name in March 2011, as a result the Democratic Community of Welfare and Freedom (JESZ) was established officially on 8 April 2011.[http://index.hu/belfold/2011/03/05/jolet_es_szabadsag_demokrata_kozossegre_valtozik_az_mdf_neve/ Jólét és Szabadság Demokrata Közösségre változik az MDF neve], Index.hu, 5 March 2011.

The MDF had gained 5.04% of the vote and its list leader, the non-partisan economist Lajos Bokros was elected Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in the 2009 European Parliament election. Bokros was also the party's candidate for the position of prime minister during the 2010 national election. After the failure, all relationship has been lost between Bokros and JESZ, which called the politician several times in the upcoming years to give back his MEP mandate. Bokros refused this,[http://www.origo.hu/itthon/20110225-bokros-nem-adja-vissza-epmandatumat.html Bokros nem adja vissza EP-mandátumát] – Origo, 2011. február 25. thus the JESZ took legal action in that matter, demanding hundreds of millions HUF however it was rejected by the metropolitan court in the absence of a legal basis.[http://index.hu/belfold/2012/03/02/jogtalanul_kovetel_milliokat_bokrostol_az_mdf_jogutodja/ Jogtalanul követelt milliókat Bokrostól az MDF jogutódja] – Index, 2012. március 2.

For the 2014 parliamentary election, the JESZ campaigned with stickers distribute to drivers in return for payment, but later these promised payments were not fulfilled in every case.[http://index.hu/belfold/2014/03/22/megsem_fizet_matricas_autosainak_a_jesz-mdf/ Még nem fizet matricás autósainak a JESZ-MDF] – Index, 2014-03-22. In other cases, the party used the portraits of non-JESZ politicians in their posters without permission, including Zoltán Pokorni, Tímea Szabó, Bernadett Szél and Attila Chikán. As a result the National Election Committee (NVB) imposed a fine of HUF 1.5 million.[http://hvg.hu/itthon/20140405_Kiakadt_a_JESZ_a_rajuk_mert_birsagon Kiakadt a JESZ a rájuk mért milliós bírságon] – hvg.hu, 2014-04-05. The party planned to run in the 2014 European Parliament election, however its registration was refused by the National Election Office (NVI) after it failed to collect required 20 thousand coupons.{{cite web |accessdate=6 May 2014|url=http://www.valasztas.hu/dyn/ep14/vertaj/hu/l1.html|title=Listaállítás áttekintése - a pártok által állított listák |publisher=Nemzeti Választási Iroda}}

Leadership

Party leaders

Zsolt Makay (2011–2015)
László Sass (2015–2023)

Election results

class=wikitable
rowspan=2\|Election year ! colspan=4\|National Assembly ! rowspan=2\|Government
# of overall votes ! % of overall vote ! # of overall seats won ! +/–
2014 \| 9,925 \| {{center\|0.2%}} \| {{Composition bar\|0\|199\|hex=#80BB3D}} \| \| extra-parliamentary

class=wikitable

rowspan=2|Election year

! colspan=4|National Assembly

! rowspan=2|Government

# of
overall votes

! % of
overall vote

! # of
overall seats won

! +/–

2014

| 9,925

| {{center|0.2%}}

| {{Composition bar|0|199|hex=#80BB3D}}