Only 12 years have passed since the establishment of the first non-communist political organization in Hungary, 11 years since the formation of the first free trade unions and political parties, and 9 years since the first free elections. Yet it seems that all of this happened many more years ago. Change, one may even dare to call it progress, has swept through almost all aspects of Hungarian life.
There are many reasons for this dramatic pace of events and change of mentality. By the late eighties Hungary was ripe for transition. The Hungarian people were ready for change and the ruling communist elite was also keen to rapidly transform its political privileges into economic ones. But it would have been a different story without the professional assistance of many foreign organizations and individuals.
The successful organizations had one important feature in common: they relied heavily on local participation and involvement. CIPE demonstrated leadership in this respect and can proudly take credit for it.
In CIPE's case, local involvement took the form of an advisory board of Hungarian professionals who ensured that CIPE's programs and goals in Hungary were relevant to the key challenges facing the country and were presented in a way that connected with the Hungarian people.
CIPE quickly discovered that issues like transparency and corporate governance were highly relevant in Hungary. CIPE teamed up with private business associations, academics, and a cross-section of private and public organizations, including the American Chamber of Commerce in Hungary, to draft and recommend legislation to enhance transparency in the decisionmaking process, public procurement, the media, and police force. CIPE built long-standing relationships with Hungarian think tanks and academic institutions, which produced recommendations relevant to the business community. These recommendations are serving to benchmark the Hungarian government's commitment to fair business practices.
CIPE is leaving behind a decade of success in Hungary.
Through CIPE's partnerships, many experts and organizations received training
in business practices, market economics, and corporate governance models.
CIPE worked to develop communications
between people and organizations that otherwise would not have talked to each
other, establishing a network spanning the country. The network learned to
appreciate and work with a donor organization that kept its ear to the ground.
We can only hope that this network will continue to make use of this experience
well into the future.
Tibor Vidos
Managing Director, GJW Government Relations
CIPE Hungary Advisory Board Member