Bibó, the civil society and the regime change

Abstract

This study examines the situation of Hungarian civil society around and after the regime change, with particular attention to how the historical, social, and discursive frameworks that limited broader social participation were formed and sustained. It starts from the premise that Western theories of civil society – such as the works of Jürgen Habermas and Nancy Fraser – provide a conceptual framework for analyzing civil society, yet they implicitly assume a consolidated, open society. In contrast, Hungary’s historical development has often been disrupted, burdened by traumas and relations of dependency; therefore, the evolution of democratic institutions and the establishment of civil spaces must be understood within this context. At the center of the study are the theories of István Bibó, particularly his concept of freedom and the problem of the “truth foundation.” The paper argues that during the regime change, no genuine social consensus emerged on fundamental issues of representation — such as property relations, housing, or social security. Political agenda-setting took place primarily from elite positions, while civil organizations operated with limited social embeddedness.