Hungarian Communist Workers' Party

The Hungarian Communist Workers' Party (Hungarian: Magyar Kommunista Munkáspárt) was created on December 17 1989, as a successor party of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP). Its chairman is Gyula Thürmer. It has always opposed capitalism, and has never been represented in the Parliament since the 1989 change of regime. The Left Front is the youth organisation of the HCWP. They take an active part in the anti-imperialist movement.

It was formed under the same name as its predecessor, "Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party" and changed its name to "Workers' Party" in 1993. In the same year, a group of hard-liners broke away to form the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party. It took its present name on November 12, 2005 when a faction separated from it to form Workers' Party of Hungary 2006 (Magyarországi Munkáspárt 2006), led by János Fratanolo.

The HCWP opposed Hungary’s joining NATO. In 1996 the party organised a countrywide collection of signatures for a referendum on NATO membership. This HCWP-led referendum drive failed, although another referendum on NATO membership was held the result was supportive of membership. The HCWP opposes the participation of Hungary in NATO and other military organisations. It campaigns to have all Hungarian forces returned from abroad and to reduce the military budget. The HCWP opposes Hungary’s participation in the “democratisation” program that has previously targeted the governments of Serbia and Belarus. The HCWP heavily opposed NATO campaigns in Yugoslavia against Slobodan Milošević as well as opposing the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Other foreign policies are in favour of

• a peaceful and just settlement of the Middle East crisis, in favour of the "progressive" Arab countries.
• a foreign policy based upon "good relations" with all parts of the world. As part of this, the HCWP criticises the government's policies, claiming that official policy does not pay enough attention to the development of relations with Japan, China, Russia, and Arab countries.
• qualified support of Hungary’s entry into the European Union. It has emphasised its view that the government should focus more upon those who lose out due to liberalised trade, doing all that it possibly can.

In the general election held on 9 April 2006, the party won 0.41% of the popular vote and no seats. Until May 1 2009 the party has been a member of the Party of the European Left.