If someone wishes to understand the results of the elections of the recent years, she/he have to know something about the life in communism.
Following the death of Stalin and after the 1956 revolution (in Hungary) the brutal force of communism changed. We lived much more freely and better a bit, but under the controlling eye of the "Big Brother".
As children we did learn to live with communism. We did learn the rules and obeyed the power. The rules during the Kadar-era were not too difficult. As we learned it, we felt safe. Much more safe compared to my father. When we were speaking about politics in the family, he always ran to the window and closed it: Someone may hear it! - he said (and tell it to the police, who might put you into prison next day.) But we did not believed it and really the police never took us away.
There were some party expressions that had not just a meaning, but an emotion, too. An example for that is: "Do you not like the system?" If someone asked this question from you, the next step might be a hit. It was scary. I remember as a young boy I was just climbing up into a tram full of people (in that time just every train was full of people). As I pushed accidentally a young man in front of me, he turned back and asked: He guy, do you not like the system? I was so afraid that I choose a different way home. Fear was deeply inside our soul.
There were things we learned in the school how it officially happened. And we learned home how it really happened. For example the 1956 revolution. In the school we did learn it was a "counter-revolution". We did spoke about it at home and even with our friends as a revolution. We knew the truth but we did not spoke about it. When the regime changed in 1990, we could say openly the truth. This is one reason, why those changes went so fast: it is normal just say the truth.
Many (older?) Hungarians did learn about voting in one of the communist youth organizations, as a pioneer or as a member of the Communist Youth Organization (KISZ). One did learn the exact formal steps of voting. In practice no one did dare to say no to any party influenced proposal. People actually knew what the party expect.
The elections in the years 1960 - 1970 were a demonstration of power and also a performance of the communist regime. In 1980 in the last traditional communist election more then 90% of electors voted. If you did not went to vote in time, at the evening some people came and (politely) asked you not to forget voting.
elections.hu
