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Hungary

Hungary, 1989 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed

During the Revolutions of 1989, Hungary peacefully transitioned into a democratic parliamentary republic. Free elections were held in May 1990, and the Hungarian Democratic Forum, a major conservative opposition group, was elected to the head of a coalition government. Like most other post-communist European states, Hungary broadly pursued an integrationist agenda, joining NATO in 1999 and the European Union on 1 May 2004. Under the leadership of Viktor Orbán and Fidesz from 2010 to 2026, the country experienced democratic backsliding.

Seat of power: Budapest

Rulers

Mátyás Szűrös

President of Hungary, 1989–1990

Mátyás Szűrös is a Hungarian politician. He served as provisional president of the Republic from 23 October 1989 to 2 May 1990. Soon after taking office on 23 October he made the official proclamation that Hungary had removed the "People's Republic" from its constitutional name and was now the "Republic of Hungary."

Portrait of Mátyás Szűrös: Griechisch Tamás, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Árpád Göncz

President of Hungary, 1990–2000

Árpád Göncz was a Hungarian writer, translator, lawyer and liberal politician who served as President of Hungary from 2 May 1990 to 4 August 2000. He was Hungary's first freely elected head of state, as well as the first in 42 years who was not a communist or a fellow traveller.

Portrait of Árpád Göncz: SZDSZ, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Ferenc Mádl

President of Hungary, 2000–2005

Ferenc Mádl was a Hungarian legal scholar, professor, and politician who served as President of Hungary from 2000 until 2005. Mádl ran unsuccessfully for the position of President of Hungary in 1995, defeated by Árpád Göncz. Five years later he was elected head of state as the candidate of the governing conservative coalition.

Portrait of Ferenc Mádl: Unknown authorUnknown author, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

László Sólyom

President of Hungary, 2005–2010

László Sólyom was a Hungarian politician, lawyer, and librarian who was President of Hungary from 2005 until 2010. Later, in 2005, he was elected president of Hungary, a largely ceremonial position, as an independent candidate. Previously he was the first president of the Constitutional Court of Hungary from 1990 to 1998.

Portrait of László Sólyom: Bálint Gilicze/Gilicze Bálint, CC BY-SA 3.0, file

Pál Schmitt

President of Hungary, 2010–2012

Pál Schmitt is a Hungarian Olympic fencer and politician who served as president of Hungary from 2010 until his resignation in 2012, following his academic misconduct controversy. Schmitt was elected president of Hungary in a 263 to 59 vote in the National Assembly. On 2 April 2012, Schmitt announced to the Hungarian Parliament his resignation as president, following the outbreak of a controversy surrounding his 1992 doctoral dissertation.

Portrait of Pál Schmitt: Európa Pont, CC BY 2.0, file

János Áder

President of Hungary, 2012–2022

János Áder is a Hungarian politician and lawyer who served as President of Hungary from 2012 to 2022. He was elected president after his predecessor Pál Schmitt resigned due to a plagiarism controversy. Áder was the first president to serve two terms since Árpád Göncz, and was thus barred from re-election in 2022.

Portrait of János Áder: keh.hu, CC BY 2.0, file

László Kövér

President of Hungary, 2012–2012

László Kövér is a Hungarian politician who served as the speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary from 2010 to 2026. As speaker, he was acting president of Hungary in 2012 after the resignation of Pál Schmitt.

Portrait of László Kövér: Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil, CC BY 2.0, file

Katalin Novák

President of Hungary, 2022–2024

Katalin Novák is a Hungarian politician who served as president of Hungary from 2022 to 2024. Elected at the age of 44, she was the first woman and youngest person ever to hold the post. In early 2024, Novák became embroiled in, and eventually resigned due to, a scandal involving her April 2023 presidential pardon of Endre Kónya.

Portrait of Katalin Novák: Quirinale, Attribution, file

Tamás Sulyok

President of Hungary, 2024–2026

Tamás Sulyok is a Hungarian politician and lawyer who served as the president of Hungary from 2024 to 2026 and the president of the Constitutional Court of Hungary from 2016 until 2024. Sulyok was elected in a snap vote after his predecessor Katalin Novák was implicated in a pedophile pardon scandal and resigned from office. In 2026, after the Tisza Party won a parliamentary supermajority on a platform pledging the dismissal of Sulyok and other Orbán-era appointees, the National Assembly passed a constitutional amendment ending Sulyok's term and triggering a new presidential election.

Portrait of Tamás Sulyok: Sándor Palota, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

László Kövér

President of Hungary, 2024–2024

László Kövér is a Hungarian politician who served as the speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary from 2010 to 2026. He was again acting president of Hungary in 2024 after the resignation of Katalin Novák.

Portrait of László Kövér: Palácio do Planalto from Brasilia, Brasil, CC BY 2.0, file

András Baka

President of Hungary, 2026 to today

András Bálint Baka is a Hungarian jurist and politician who has served as president of Hungary since August 2026. He previously served as president of the Supreme Court of Hungary from 2009 to 2011 and was a member of the National Assembly from 1990 to 1991.

Portrait of András Baka: scienche (https://www.youtube.com/@tudomam), CC BY 3.0, file

Ágnes Forsthoffer

President of Hungary, 2026–2026

Ágnes Forsthoffer is a Hungarian politician and businesswoman who has served as Speaker of the National Assembly since 2026. After her election as speaker of the National Assembly, she briefly served ex officio as acting president of Hungary following Tamás Sulyok's constitutional removal from office.

Portrait of Ágnes Forsthoffer: Sejm_RP, CC BY 4.0, file

Culture

Picture

The Hungarian Parliament Building is the seat of the National Assembly of Hungary, a notable landmark of Hungary, and a popular tourist destination in Budapest.

Image: Kilyann Le Hen, CC BY 4.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.