Social Enterprise in Hungary Concepts, Models and Institutions

• Published in: Social Enterprise in Central and Eastern Europe pp. 84 - 101
• Main Authors: Fekete, Éva G., Hubai, László, Kiss, Julianna, Mihály, Melinda
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Routledge 2021
• Edition: 1
• Subjects: SE Mission; Traditional Civil Society Organisations; Innovation Operational Programme; Social Reproduction; Civil Society Organisations; Solidarity Economy Enterprises; SE; EMES Approach; Social Business Model; UN; Social Cooperatives; Term Social Economy; EU Definition; Solidarity Economy Network; Transformative Social Innovation; EMES Network; Public Benefit Companies; Professional Development; Hungarian Central Statistical Office; EU Accession; Stronger Market Orientation; Non-profit Companies; Éva; Social Start Ups; EMES Researchers
• ISBN: 0367342197; 9780367342197; 9780367747312; 0367747316
• DOI: 10.4324/9780429324529-7

The concept of social enterprise (SE) was introduced in Hungary more than two decades ago by international development organisations, but remained little known and seldom used for a long time. The relatively new concept of social enterprise can be connected to various concepts, such as those of “non-profit sector”, “civil society” and “social economy”, which have a longer history and are usually better understood in Hungary. The definition that is most widely used by public authorities and programme managers is one that has been put forward by the European Commission. Public-service-provision social enterprises are non-profit organisations with close ties to the public sector. Indeed, these social enterprises are usually not founded by citizens but by the state or by organisations close to the state; moreover, they provide services that were formerly a public responsibility, and they thus receive statutory state support.