Representation and Participation in Movements. Strategies of Environmental Civil Society Organizations in Hungary

Abstract

Effectively using the space provided for political mobilization by the legalization of associations and the rise of public concern on environmental damage, environmental groups were among the main drivers of democratic transition in Hungary in the 1980s. However, the socio-economic problems caused by transition have quickly eclipsed the importance laid on environmental policy. Over the years, environmental non-governmental organiza- tions (ENGOs) have reacted with a number of different strategies. These extend from party formation, lobbying, and partnership with public authorities to acting as ‘watchdogs’ of the state. Focusing on these representational and participatory strategies of Hungarian ENGOs, the present article shows that the different roles played by ENGOs complement each other and that change in opportunity structures—including those provided through the process of European integration—determine choices in their repertoires of action.