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1. Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

2. Actors

3. Information on the extent of youth participation

4. Outcomes

5. Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and young people

Formal Mechanisms of Consultation

Neither in Central Europe, nor in Hungary is it easy to involve young people in political decision-making processes, because only a small number are interested in public policy.

National Youth Council (Nemzeti Ifjúsági Tanács, NIT) and Hungarian Youth Conference (Magyar Ifjúsági Konferencia, MIK) are such strategic partners. The National Organisation of Student Self-governing Bodies (Hallgatói Önkormányzatok Országos Konferenciája) and the Association of Hungarian PhD and DLA Candidates (Doktoranduszok Országos Szövetsége, DOSZ) have more declared rights in certain areas of legislation (for example in higher education). Not only in education but also in another respect, they establish youth organisations.

For example:

• based on life-situation – the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (Fiatal Vállalkozók Országos Szövetsége - FIVOSZ);
• some kind of value – Hungarian Scout Association (Magyar Cserkészszövetség) and Rákóczi Association (Rákóczi Szövetség)].

These, and other strategic partners of the Deputy State Secretariat for Young People, provide opportunities for young people to articulate their needs towards the government. (See more details in 5.3 Youth representation bodies.)

Legal provisions or policy guidelines on youth consultation

Although there is no stated or binding law on how young people should be involved in consultation processes, young people have the opportunity to express their views on all matters that affect them. All ministries have the right (declared by the Act CXXXI of 2010 on public participation in developing legislation) to agree on strategic cooperation with those youth organisations that could assist them with legislation.

Levels on consultation

On the ministry level, the Deputy State Secretariat for Young People also provides a forum for consultation with youth organisations through one formation: the Board of the Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapprogram Tanácsa). (For more information, see 1.4 Youth policy decision-making)

The above-mentioned national organisations (strategic partners) also hold regular consultations with their members where they can present the current situation of youth. NIT has 2 plenary meetings per year, and additional consultations are also held in the capital and in the countryside on a project basis where local decision-makers and young people can have a dialogue on specific issues.

Regarding education policy, the National Youth Parliament (Országos Diákparlament) has an important role in representing the recommendations of the students.

At the local level, there is no mandatory framework for how young people should be consulted (with the exception of pupil councils in schools). Local consultations are dependent on local governments.

Method of consultation

The Deputy State Secretariat for Young People under the Ministry for Culture and Innovation (Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium) and the State Secretary for Public Education under the Ministry of Interior (Belügyminisztérium) invite the organisations. Some of the organisations invited are strategic partners of the government; others are organisations with a strong tradition representing a significant number of young people.

Regularity of consultations

The Board of the Children and Youth Fund (Gyermek és Ifjúsági Alapprogram Tanácsa) meets at least once a quarter and writes a report on its activities to the responsible minister twice a year.

The Deputy State Secretariat for Young People and the NIT may also consult on certain youth issues. These are mainly ad hoc consultations.

At the national level, consultations with key youth organisations and decision-makers are quite common (see above). MIK holds its national consultation twice a year as well as two/four meetings of the Standing Committee (Presidency).

Actors

Among the actors in the youth field the

• youth workers (or experts),
• youth and student organisations (dealing with specific youth issues),
• Ministry professionals who are not decision-makers and
• student/youth councils operating at schools or the local level should be mentioned who participate in consultation processes as members of an organisation or as individuals.

Specific target groups within the youth field are not treated separately from youth in general.

The authorities participating in the consultation processes in the youth field are mainly

• the Deputy State Secretariat for Young People under the Ministry of Culture and Innovation (Kulturális és Innovációs Minisztérium),
• the State Secretary Responsible for Public Education under the Ministry of Interior (Belügyminisztérium),
• the ministry responsible for specific issues (Ministry for National Economy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of Interior) and
• the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights.

Officers responsible for youth issues at local governments and local NGOs should be mentioned as additional stakeholders. The National Cooperation Fund (Nemzeti Együttműködési Alap) also tries to consider the relevant needs (see in 5.6 Supporting Youth Organisations). Certain for-profit organisations are important actors as well regarding articulating the needs of youth.

Information on the extent of youth participation

Youth organisations are the most important participants in consultations at the national level as they can represent young people. Individual young people can participate in consultations at the local level or on specific issues. Sometimes, 30-80 young people take part in consultations held by the National Youth Council (Nemzeti Ifjúsági Tanács, NIT) at the local level. They mostly discuss issues which are relevant on the local level with the delegates of NIT, NGOs, and other stakeholders, like in the Youth Dialogue project (Ifjúsági Párbeszéd) or the National Youth Forum (Országos Ifjúsági Fórum) twice a year. Many of these young people are representatives of local school student councils.

On the other hand, this number is relatively small compared to the fact that sometimes up to 1 000 participants can take part in national events on important issues. For example, the National Association of Young Entrepreneurs (FIVOSZ) organises the Young Entrepreneurs Week (Fiatal Vállalkozók Hete) each year, in autumn. A higher number of young people are involved in the Open University event organised by NIT (Szabadegyetem) each year.

Outcomes

The main outcomes of consultations with young people are usually individual policy decisions taken on the basis of the proposals of these discussions such as the postponement or cancellation of a policy decision or the establishment of specific forums, for instance, the National Student Council (Országos Diáktanács).

All official data/decisions are publicly accessible on the website of the National Student Council but sometimes in legal terminology in the Hungarian Official Journal (Magyar Közlöny).

Large-scale initiatives for dialogue or debate between public institutions and young people

Youth Dialogue

The NIT organised the Youth Dialogue (Ifjúsági Párbeszéd) in 2025 in the frame of the EU Youth Strategy 2019-2027. The event aimed at facilitating the dialogue between young people and decision makers. The Deputy State Secretary for Young People participated in the event with other actors in the field of youth policy. The most significant questions from young people were:

• What are the future plans to involve youth in public politics?
• What methods are being used to reach young people?
• What community spaces are available for young people?
• What opportunities exist for youth community involvement and volunteering?

Other important topics raised by the young participants were the mental health of young people, the need for improving the education system and the political elections in 2026.