Bordering seven other European countries, Hungary occupies a
strategic location in Central Europe. Hungary is a member of
the European Union, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and the
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. As
with many Central and East European economies, the transfer from a
planned to a market economy has not been easy for Hungary, and it
suffered greatly during the transition and subsequent global
recession. Compounding its problems, Hungary has suffered
from an uncertain political climate since the election of a
centre-right government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban in April
2010. Mr. Orban's tenure has been marked by controversy,
including criticisms that press freedom has been curtailed, and
that Orban's government has undermined the independence of the
central bank and constitutional court. As a result,
Hungary's relationship with the European Union has been tense
at times.
