szubszidiáris

Szubszidiáris is a Hungarian adjective referring to the principle of subsidiarity. In political and legal contexts it describes relationships between governance levels, emphasizing that decisions should be taken as close to citizens as possible and that higher authorities should intervene only when objectives cannot be effectively achieved at a lower level.

In the European Union, the principle of subsidiarity is a constitutional rule embedded in treaties (notably in the treaty framework governing the Union’s powers). It governs actions in areas that are not exclusively within the Union’s competence, stating that the Union should act only if objectives cannot be sufficiently achieved by Member States and can be better achieved at Union level. The principle is paired with proportionality, which requires that Union measures do not exceed what is necessary to achieve the objectives.

Historically, subsidiarity has roots in Catholic social thought and was developed into a key concept of modern constitutional and administrative law. In contemporary practice, it guides how power is distributed between the EU and its member states, and is used in debates over regulatory harmonization, governance, and administrative organization. National parliaments and courts may invoke the szubszidiáris principle to assess proposed actions and to challenge or justify the level at which policy decisions are made.