$Unique_ID{COW01618}
$Pretitle{365}
$Title{Hungary
Glossary}
$Subtitle{}
$Author{Eugene K. Keefe}
$Affiliation{HQ, Department of the Army}
$Subject{party
economic
per
us$1

}
$Date{1973}
$Log{}
Country:     Hungary
Book:        Hungary, A Country Study
Author:      Eugene K. Keefe
Affiliation: HQ, Department of the Army
Date:        1973

Glossary

     COMECON-Council for Mutual Economic Assistance. Economic alliance founded
in 1949 to further cooperation among member states. Members are Bulgaria,
Cuba, Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, Mongolia, Poland, Romania, and
the Soviet Union. Headquarters is in Moscow.

     Euro-dollar-United States dollars held by foreigners in European banks
and used to finance commercial transactions.

     forint-The basic unit of currency. An artificial exchange rate, based on
the gold content of the forint, is 10.81 per US$1 but is not used in practice.
A rate of 27.63 forints per US$1 is used for most noncommercial transactions.
Foreign trade transactions with the West peg the forint at 60 per US$1, and
with COMECON countries, at 33.33 per US$1. Black-market rates range as high as
62.50 per US$1.

     KISZ-Kommunista Ifjusagi Szovetseg (Communist Youth League). The official
youth organization of the country; functions under the direct guidance and
supervision of the party.

     MSZMP-Magyar Szocialista Munkaspart (Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party).
Known as the Hungarian Peace Party, it operated underground during the
interwar period. The party emerged into the open after World War II as the
Hungarian Communist Party. After forcing the Social Democratic Party to merge
with it in 1948, the party eventually assumed the title by which it was still
known in 1973-the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party.

     NEM-New Economic Mechanism (Uj Gazdasagi Mechanizmus). A long-range
reform program, emphasizing decentralization, initiated in 1968 as a means
toward greater efficiency in the overall economic system.

     Patriotic People's Front-The umbrella organization for all other mass
organizations; provides a facade of democratic practice, whereas, actually, it
provides a means of party control.

     SZOT-Szakszerveztek Orszagos Tanacsa (National Council of Trade Unions).
The largest mass organization in the country, with a membership of about 3.4
million in 1970. The council is essentially a transmitter of party policy. The
council acquired some influence in the field of workers' rights after the
introduction of the New Economic Mechanism, but the union leadership is
communist and therefore speaks first for the party.

     Warsaw Treaty Organization (Warsaw Pact)-Military alliance founded in
1955. The Soviet minister of defense is traditionally the supreme commander of
the joint Warsaw Pact forces. Members are Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, East
Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the Soviet Union.