Christian National Union Party
기독교민족연합당
A short-lived Hungarian party formed in October 1919 by the merger of the Christian National Party and the Christian Social Economic Party. It won the only election it contested, in 1920, becoming the largest faction, but weakened through internal tensions after the Treaty of Trianon. In 1922 it split as the Unity Party, the governing party between the world wars, was formed together with the Smallholders.
In depth
According to the Hungarian source, the Christian National Union Party was formed on 24 October 1919 by the merger of the Christian National Party and the Christian Social Economic Party, under the leadership of István Friedrich. The English source says it brought together important politicians from north-western Hungary, the Catholic Church and some Transylvanian refugees grouped around István Bethlen and Pál Teleki.
In the election of January 1920 it won 97 seats and, after supplementary elections, became the largest faction with 84 members. It formed a coalition government with the Smallholders, with István Bethlen as prime minister and István Rakovszky the Younger as Speaker. The chairmanship left vacant when Bethlen became prime minister was taken by Ottokár Prohászka, who held it until the Unity Party was founded.
In the summer of 1920 the party weakened considerably. Friedrich and fellow deputies left on 12 April and re-founded the Christian National Party, and 22 deputies then called on the KNEP and the Smallholders to form a single governing party and left the faction. Bethlen took up the initiative and on 2 February 1922 founded the Unity Party; some deputies followed him, splitting the party.
The wing led by István Haller went into opposition, while the group of Károly Huszár and Sándor Ernszt supported the government as a separate party, the Christian National Unity Party, until it was absorbed into the Christian Social Economic Party on 18 February 1926.