The Electoral Process in the Banat (1861–1918).
The Electoral Process in the Banat (1861–1918).

Summary/Abstract: The paper offers an overview on the electoral process in the Banat between 1861 and 1918, by analyzing the statistical evolution of the results and the composition of the province’s parliamentary elite. The highly mixed ethnic and confessional structure, together with the low level of economic development made this particular geographical area suitable for electoral frauds, gradually transforming it into a traditional election ground for the deputies of the government party, regardless nationality. It is not by chance that one third of the Hungarian prime ministers, along with other members of their cabinets and close relatives, won some of their parliamentary seats in the Banat. Regarding the body of representatives sent into the Hungarian Parliament, while a large majority (ca. 50%) were only elected once, resuming afterwards their bureaucratic careers, there were also prominent local personalities who held their seats for decades. Overall, the mixture between nationalism, government influence and family/group interests makes the region of Banat a most interesting case-study for the election process in the Kingdom of Hungary.

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