Grey Eminence at the Brink of Power Károly Grósz’ Years as First Secretariat in Borsod County and Budapest

Abstract

If Károly Grósz had not been the last general secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party (Magyar Szocialista Munkáspárt – MSZMP), he could be considered the archetypal grey eminence of the Kádár era. The politician had served the system as a party functionary for 25 years. He was deputy chairman and department leader of the Agitation and Propaganda Department of MSZMP, Hungary’s sole ruling party. Although he was considered a good presenter and he himself took delight in taking on public appearances, many still view Grósz as just a bland bureaucrat of the Kádár system. This study aims to highlight the period when Grósz was already on the verge of power. As party leader in Borsod County, and also as first secretary of Budapest, more and more people saw him as a future leader.