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This article lists the heads of state of Hungary, from the Hungarian Declaration of Independence and the establishment of the Hungarian State in 1849 (during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848) until the present day.

The current head of state of Hungary is President of the Republic Tamás Sulyok, former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court. He was elected on 26 February 2024 and took office on 5 March 2024.[1][2]

For earlier rulers, see Grand Prince of the Hungarians, King of Hungary and List of Hungarian monarchs.

Hungarian State (1849)

Parties   Opposition Party

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Lajos Kossuth
(1802–1894) 		14 April 1849 11 August 1849 119 days Opposition Party Governor-President
Also Prime Minister
until 1 May 1849
— Artúr Görgei
(1818–1916) 		11 August 1849 13 August 1849 2 days Revolutionary Army Dictator
Acting civil and military authority

After the collapse of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the restored Hungarian Kingdom became an integral part of the Austrian Empire until 1867, when dual Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was created and the Hungarian Kingdom was organized as Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen.

Lands of the Crown of Saint Stephen (1867–1918)

Further information: List of Hungarian monarchs

Hungarian People's Republic (1918–1919)

Parties   F48P–Károlyi

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Mihály Károlyi
(1875–1955) 		16 November 1918 11 January 1919 125 days F48P–Károlyi Provisional President of the Republic
Also Prime Minister
11 January 1919 21 March 1919 President of the Republic

Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919)

Parties   MSZP/SZKMMP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Sándor Garbai
(1879–1947) 		21 March 1919 1 August 1919 133 days MSZP/SZKMMP Chairman of the Central Executive Council

Hungarian People's Republic (1919)

Parties   MSZDP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Gyula Peidl
(1873–1943) 		1 August 1919 6 August 1919 5 days MSZDP Prime Minister
Acting Head of State

Hungarian Republic (1919–1920)

Parties   KNEP   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Archduke Joseph August
(1872–1962) 		7 August 1919 23 August 1919 16 days Independent
(Regent) 		Regent of Hungary
— István Friedrich
(1883–1951) 		23 August 1919 24 November 1919 93 days KNP → KNEP Acting Head of State
Also Prime Minister
— Károly Huszár
(1882–1941) 		24 November 1919 1 March 1920 98 days KNEP

Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)

  Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
2
Miklós Horthy
Miklós Horthy
(1868–1957)		1 March 192015 October 194424 years, 228 daysIndependentRegent of Hungary

Government of National Unity (1944–1945)

Parties   NYKP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1
Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi
(1897–1946)		16 October 194428 March 1945163 daysNYKPLeader of the Nation
De facto, appointed by the Germans
Also Prime Minister

Soviet-backed provisional governments (1944–1946)

Parties   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
— Béla Miklós
(1890–1948) 		21 December 1944 25 January 1945 35 days Independent Head of State
Also Prime Minister
In opposition
— High National Council 26 January 1945 1 February 1946 1 year, 6 days Multi-party Collective Head of State
In opposition to 28 March 1945

Hungarian Republic (1946–1949)

Parties   FKGP   MDP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
2 Zoltán Tildy
(1889–1961) 		1 February 1946 3 August 1948 2 years, 184 days FKGP President of the Republic
3 Árpád Szakasits
(1888–1965) 		3 August 1948 23 August 1949 1 year, 20 days MDP

Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989)

Chairman of the Presidential Council

Main article: Presidential Council of the Hungarian People's Republic

Parties   MDP–MSZMP   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s)
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Árpád Szakasits
(1888–1965) 		23 August 1949 26 April 1950 246 days MDP Chairman of the Presidential Council
2 Sándor Rónai
(1892–1965) 		26 April 1950 14 August 1952 2 years, 110 days
3 István Dobi
(1898–1968) 		14 August 1952 25 October 1956 14 years, 243 days
(3) 25 October 1956 14 April 1967 MSZMP
4 Pál Losonczi
(1919–2005) 		14 April 1967 25 June 1987 20 years, 72 days
5 Károly Németh
(1922–2008) 		25 June 1987 29 June 1988 1 year, 4 days
6 Brunó Ferenc Straub
(1914–1996) 		29 June 1988 23 October 1989 1 year, 116 days Independent

Leader of the Hungarian Working People's Party / Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party

Parties   MDP–MSZMP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s) Notes
Took office Left office Time in office
1 Mátyás Rákosi
(1892–1971) 		12 June 1948 28 June 1953 8 years, 36 days MDP General Secretary Also Prime Minister (1952–1953)
28 June 1953 18 July 1956 First Secretary
2 Ernő Gerő
(1898–1980) 		18 July 1956 25 October 1956 99 days
3 János Kádár
(1912–1989) 		25 October 1956 30/31 October 1956 31 years, 215 days Also Prime Minister (1956–1958 and 1961–1965)
(3) 1 November 1956 28 March 1985 MSZMP
28 March 1985 27 May 1988 General Secretary
4 Károly Grósz
(1930–1996) 		27 May 1988 7 October 1989 1 year, 133 days Also Prime Minister (1987–1988)
5 Rezső Nyers
(1923–2018) 		26 June 1989 7 October 1989 103 days Party President[a]

Hungarian Republic / Hungary (from 1989)

Parties   MSZP   SZDSZ   Fidesz   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Position(s) Term
(Election)
Took office Left office Time in office
— Mátyás Szűrös
(born 1933) 		23 October 1989 2 May 1990 191 days MSZP Provisional President of the Republic —
— Árpád Göncz
(1922–2015) 		2 May 1990 3 August 1990 10 years, 94 days SZDSZ Acting President of the Republic —
1 4 August 1990 4 August 1995 President of the Republic 1 (1990)
4 August 1995 4 August 2000 2 (1995)
2 Ferenc Mádl
(1931–2011) 		4 August 2000 5 August 2005 5 years, 1 day Independent 3 (2000)
3 László Sólyom
(1942–2023) 		5 August 2005 6 August 2010 5 years, 1 day 4 (2005)
4 Pál Schmitt
(born 1942) 		6 August 2010 2 April 2012
(resigned) 		1 year, 240 days Fidesz 5 (2010)
— László Kövér
(born 1959) 		2 April 2012 10 May 2012 38 days Acting President of the Republic —
5 János Áder
(born 1959) 		10 May 2012 9 May 2017 9 years, 364 days President of the Republic 6 (2012)
10 May 2017 9 May 2022 7 (2017)
6 Katalin Novák
(born 1977) 		10 May 2022 26 February 2024
(resigned) 		1 year, 292 days 8 (2022)
— László Kövér
(born 1959) 		26 February 2024 5 March 2024 8 days Acting President of the Republic —
7 Tamás Sulyok
(born 1956) 		5 March 2024 Incumbent 27 days Independent President of the Republic 9 (2024)

Timeline

Tamás SulyokKatalin NovákJános ÁderLászló KövérPál SchmittLászló SólyomFerenc MádlÁrpád GönczMátyás SzűrösRezső NyersBrunó Ferenc StraubKároly GrószKároly NémethPál LosoncziJános KádárErnő GerőIstván DobiSándor RónaiMátyás RákosiÁrpád SzakasitsZoltán TildyHigh National CouncilBéla MiklósFerenc SzálasiMiklós HorthyKároly HuszárIstván FriedrichArchduke Joseph August of AustriaGyula PeidlSándor GarbaiMihály KárolyiCharles I of AustriaFranz Joseph I of Austria

See also

Notes

  1. ^ While Grósz retained the title of General Secretary until 7 October, Nyers held the chairmanship of the Party's four-man presidency after the reorganization of the Party leadership on 26 June. This made him de facto chief executive of both the Party and the country after that date for several months in 1989.

References

  1. ^ "Hungary parliament elects new president following scandal". Al Jazeera. 26 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Hungarian parliament elects new president after predecessor resigned in scandal". Associated Press. 27 February 2024. Retrieved 27 February 2024.

External links

Heads of state of Hungary
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