This paper provides the analytical narrative for why there are and always have been very few non-Magyar ethno-nationalist parties in the Hungarian Diet (1867-1920). The pathway of Offensive Nationalism under which voters in Hungary were (dis)enfranchised between 1848 and 1920 did not necessarily inhibit the formation of ethno-nationalist parties outside of parliament, in fact it encouraged ethno-national minorities to organize into factions to fight for their right to participation and greater political autonomy. However, only the poorest and worst organized of these ethno-national minorities were enfranchised in 1874, 1899 and, 1913. This decision by incumbent Liberal Magyar elites increased their own electoral wins in subsequent elections, particularly in districts where enfranchised minorities formed a majority of the population. Meanwhile, ethno-nationalist parties of the better organized ethno-national minorities, and that challenged the ethno-nationalist order of the Kingdom of Hungary remained extra-parliamentary. Evidence presented comes from months of archival fieldwork in State archives in Vienna and Budapest which yielded the digitization of census, electoral, legislative and, party records.

This paper is part of my book-style dissertation project which looks at how enfranchisement affected the development of party systems in the constituent states of the Austrian-Hungarian Empire.