Minister of Foreign Affairs of Hungary
Magyarország külügyminisztere
Incumbent
Péter Szijjártó
since 23 September 2014
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
TypeMinister
Member ofHungarian cabinet
Formation7 April 1848
First holderPál Esterházy

The minister of foreign affairs of Hungary (Hungarian: Magyarország külügyminisztere) is a member of the Hungarian cabinet and the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The current foreign minister is Péter Szijjártó.

The position was called People's Commissar of Foreign Affairs (Hungarian: külügyi népbiztos) during the Hungarian Soviet Republic in 1919 and Minister besides the King (Hungarian: a király személye körüli miniszter) between 1848 and 1918, except in 1849 when Hungary declared its independence from the Austrian Empire. During the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy (1867–1918) the two countries also had a joint Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Ministers besides the king (1848)

Hungarian Kingdom (1848)

Parties   Conservative Party

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 Pál Esterházy
(1786–1866) 		7 April 1848 9 September 1848 Conservative Party Batthyány Last Diet
1 (1848)

Ministers of foreign affairs (1849)

Hungarian State (1849)

Parties   Opposition Party

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 Kázmér Batthyány
(1807–1854) 		8 May 1849 16 July 1849 Opposition Party Szemere 1 (1848)

After the collapse of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, the Hungarian Kingdom became an integral part of the Austrian Empire until 1867, when dual Austro-Hungarian Monarchy was created.

Ministers besides the king (1867–1918)

For the joint ministers of Foreign Affairs, see List of foreign ministers of Austria-Hungary.

Hungarian Kingdom (1867–1918)

Parties   Deák Party/Liberal Party/National Party of Work   Catholic People's Party   F48P/F48P–Károlyi   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 György Festetics
(1815–1883) 		20 February 1867 19 May 1871 Independent Andrássy
DP 		3 (1865)
4 (1869)
2 Béla Wenckheim
(1811–1879) 		19 May 1871 14 November 1871 Deák Party
14 November 1871 4 December 1872 Lónyay
DP
5 (1872)
4 December 1872 21 March 1874 Szlávy
DP
21 March 1874 2 March 1875 Bittó
DP–BK
2 March 1875 20 October 1875 Liberal Party Wenckheim
SZP
20 October 1875 7 July 1879 K. Tisza
SZP 		6 (1875)
7 (1878)
— Kálmán Tisza
(1830–1902)
acting 		11 July 1879 25 September 1879 Liberal Party
3 Béla Orczy
(1822–1917) 		25 September 1879 13 March 1890 Liberal Party
8 (1881)
9 (1884)
10 (1887)
13 March 1890 24 December 1890 Szapáry
SZP
4 László Szőgyény-Marich
(1841–1916) 		24 December 1890 24 October 1892 Liberal Party
11 (1892)
— Géza Fejérváry
(1833–1914)
acting 		24 October 1892 19 November 1892 Independent
5 Lajos Tisza
(1832–1898) 		19 November 1892 10 June 1894 Liberal Party Wekerle I
SZP
6 Gyula Andrássy, Jr.
(1860–1929) 		10 June 1894 15 January 1895 Liberal Party
— Géza Fejérváry
(1833–1914)
acting 		15 January 1895 18 January 1895 Independent Bánffy
SZP
7 Sámuel Jósika
(1848–1923) 		18 January 1895 20 January 1898 Liberal Party
12 (1896)
— Dezső Bánffy
(1843–1911)
acting 		20 January 1898 20 December 1898 Liberal Party
8 Manó Széchényi
(1858–1926) 		20 December 1898 26 February 1899 Independent
26 February 1899 7 March 1900 Széll
SZP
— Kálmán Széll
(1843–1915)
acting 		7 March 1900 29 March 1900 Liberal Party
9 Gyula Széchényi
(1829–1921) 		29 March 1900 27 June 1903 Independent
13 (1901)
10 Károly Khuen-Héderváry
(1849–1918)
1st term 		27 June 1903 3 November 1903 Liberal Party Khuen-Héderváry I
SZP
11 István Tisza
(1861–1918) 		3 November 1903 3 March 1904 Liberal Party I. Tisza I
SZP
(10) Károly Khuen-Héderváry
(1849–1918)
2nd term 		3 March 1904 18 June 1905 Liberal Party
12 Géza Fejérváry
(1833–1914) 		18 June 1905 8 April 1906 Independent Fejérváry
SZP 		14 (1905)
13 Aladár Zichy
(1864–1937)
1st term 		8 April 1906 17 January 1910 Catholic People's Party Wekerle II
F48P–OAP–KNP–PDP 		15 (1906)
(10) Károly Khuen-Héderváry
(1849–1918)
3rd term 		17 January 1910 22 April 1912 National Party of Work Khuen-Héderváry II
NMP 		16 (1910)
14 László Lukács
(1850–1932) 		22 April 1912 10 June 1913 National Party of Work Lukács
NMP
15 István Burián
(1851–1922) 		10 June 1913 13 January 1915 Independent I. Tisza II
NMP
— István Tisza
(1861–1918)
acting 		13 January 1915 29 May 1915 National Party of Work
16 Ervin Roszner
(1852–1928) 		29 May 1915 15 June 1917 National Party of Work
17 Tivadar Batthyány
(1859–1931)
1st term 		15 June 1917 18 August 1917 F48P Esterházy
NMP–F48P–OAP–PDP–KNP
(13) Aladár Zichy
(1864–1937)
2nd term 		18 August 1917 23 August 1917 Catholic People's Party
23 August 1917 31 October 1918 Wekerle III
NMP–F48P–OAP–PDP–KNP
— István Rakovszky
(1858–1931) 		30 October 1918 31 October 1918 Catholic People's Party Hadik
not formed
(17) Tivadar Batthyány
(1859–1931)
2nd term 		31 October 1918 1 November 1918 F48P–Károlyi M. Károlyi
F48P–Károlyi–PRP–MSZDP 		MNT (—)
18 Mihály Károlyi
(1875–1955) 		1 November 1918 16 November 1918 F48P–Károlyi M. Károlyi
F48P–Károlyi–PRP–MSZDP

Ministers of foreign affairs (1918–1919)

Hungarian People's Republic (1918–1919)

Parties   F48P–Károlyi   Civic Radical Party (PRP)

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 Mihály Károlyi
(1875–1955) 		16 November 1918 11 January 1919 F48P–Károlyi M. Károlyi
F48P–Károlyi–PRP–MSZDP 		MNT (—)
— Dénes Berinkey
(1871–1944)
acting 		11 January 1919 24 January 1919 PRP Berinkey
F48P–Károlyi–PRP–MSZDP–OKGFP
2 Ferenc Harrer
(1874–1969) 		24 January 1919 21 March 1919 PRP

People's commissars of foreign affairs (1919)

Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919)

Parties   MSZP/SZKMMP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 Béla Kun
(1886–1939)
serving with József Pogány and Péter Ágoston
from 3 April to 24 June 1919 		21 March 1919 1 August 1919 MSZP Central Executive Council
MSZP/SZKMMP 		TOGY (—)
(1) József Pogány
(1886–1938)
serving with Béla Kun and Péter Ágoston 		3 April 1919 24 June 1919 MSZP/SZKMMP
(1) Péter Ágoston
(1874–1925)
serving with Béla Kun and József Pogány 		3 April 1919 24 June 1919 MSZP/SZKMMP

Counter-revolutionary governments (1919)

Parties   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
— Gyula Bornemisza
(1873–1925) 		5 May 1919 31 May 1919 Independent Arad —
— Pál Teleki
(1879–1941) 		31 May 1919 6 June 1919 Independent Szeged I —
6 June 1919 12 July 1919 Szeged II
12 July 1919 12 August 1919 Szeged III

Ministers of foreign affairs (1919–present)

Hungarian People's Republic (1919)

Parties   MSZDP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 Péter Ágoston
(1874–1925) 		1 August 1919 6 August 1919
(deposed) 		MSZDP Peidl
MSZDP 		—

Hungarian Republic (1919–1920)

Parties   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
— Gábor Tánczos
(1872–1953)
acting 		7 August 1919 15 August 1919 Independent Friedrich
KNP/KNEP–OKGFP 		—
1 Márton Lovászy
(1864–1927) 		15 August 1919 11 September 1919 Independent
2 József Somssich
(1864–1941) 		11 September 1919 24 November 1919 Independent
24 November 1919 29 February 1920 Huszár
KNEP–OKGFP–MSZDP–NDPP 		—

Hungarian Kingdom (1920–1946)

Parties   KNEP   EP–NEP–MÉP   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 József Somssich
(1864–1941) 		29 February 1920 15 March 1920 Independent Huszár
KNEP–OKGFP–MSZDP–NDPP 		—
— Sándor Simonyi-Semadam
(1864–1946)
acting 		15 March 1920 19 April 1920 KNEP Simonyi-Semadam
KNEP–OKGFP 		17 (1920)
2 Pál Teleki
(1879–1941)
 		19 April 1920 19 July 1920 KNEP
— Pál Teleki
(1879–1941)
acting 		19 July 1920 22 September 1920 Teleki I
KNEP–OKGFP
3 Imre Csáky
(1882–1961) 		22 September 1920 16 December 1920 Independent
— Pál Teleki
(1879–1941)
acting 		16 December 1920 17 January 1921 KNEP
4 Gusztáv Gratz
(1875–1946) 		17 January 1921 12 April 1921 Independent
— Pál Teleki
(1879–1941)
acting 		12 April 1921 14 April 1921 KNEP
5 Miklós Bánffy
(1873–1950) 		14 April 1921 19 December 1922 Independent Bethlen
(KNEP–OKGFP)→EP
18 (1922)
— Géza Daruváry
(1866–1934)
acting 		19 December 1922 11 June 1923 Independent
6 Géza Daruváry
(1866–1934) 		11 June 1923 7 October 1924
— István Bethlen
(1874–1946)
acting 		7 October 1924 15 November 1924 EP
7 Tibor Scitovszky
(1875–1959) 		15 November 1924 17 March 1925 EP
— Lajos Walko
(1880–1954)
acting for Tibor Scitovszky 		5 March 1925 17 March 1925 EP
Lajos Walko
(1880–1954)
acting 		17 March 1925 15 October 1926
8 Lajos Walko
(1880–1954)
1st term 		15 October 1926 9 December 1930
19 (1926)
9 Gyula Károlyi
(1871–1947) 		9 December 1930 24 August 1931 EP
20 (1931)
(8) Lajos Walko
(1880–1954)
2nd term 		24 August 1931 1 October 1932 EP G. Károlyi
EP–KGSZP
10 Endre Puky
(1871–1941) 		1 October 1932 9 January 1933 NEP Gömbös
NEP
— Gyula Gömbös
(1886–1936)
acting 		9 January 1933 4 February 1933 NEP
11 Kálmán Kánya
(1869–1945) 		4 February 1933 12 October 1936 NEP
21 (1935)
12 October 1936 14 May 1938 Independent Darányi
NEP
14 May 1938 28 November 1938 Imrédy
NEP
— Béla Imrédy
(1891–1946)
acting 		28 November 1938 10 December 1938 NEP
12 István Csáky
(1894–1941) 		10 December 1938 16 February 1939 NEP
16 February 1939 27 January 1941
(died in office) 		MÉP Teleki II
MÉP
22 (1939)
— Pál Teleki
(1879–1941)
acting for István Csáky 		21 December 1940 27 January 1941 MÉP
Pál Teleki
(1879–1941)
acting 		27 January 1941 4 February 1941
13 László Bárdossy
(1890–1946) 		4 February 1941 3 April 1941 MÉP
3 April 1941 7 March 1942 Bárdossy
MÉP
— Ferenc Keresztes-Fischer
(1881–1948)
acting 		7 March 1942 9 March 1942 MÉP
— Miklós Kállay
(1887–1967)
acting 		9 March 1942 20 May 1942 MÉP Kállay
MÉP
14 Miklós Kállay
(1887–1967) 		20 May 1942 24 July 1943
15 Jenő Ghyczy
(1893–1982) 		24 July 1943 22 March 1944
(deposed) 		Independent
16 Döme Sztójay
(1883–1946) 		22 March 1944 29 August 1944 Independent Sztójay
MÉP–MMP
17 Gusztáv Hennyey
(1888–1977) 		29 August 1944 16 October 1944
(deposed) 		Independent Lakatos
MÉP

Government of National Unity (1944–1945)

Parties   Arrow Cross Party

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 Gábor Kemény
(1910–1946) 		16 October 1944 28 March 1945 NYKP Szálasi
NYKP–MMP 		—

Soviet-backed provisional governments (1944–1946)

Parties   FKGP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 János Gyöngyösi
(1893–1951) 		22 December 1944 15 November 1945 FKGP Provisional National Government
FKGP–MKP–MSZDP–NPP–PDP 		INGY (1944)
15 November 1945 1 February 1946 Tildy
FKGP–MKP–MSZDP–NPP 		23 (1945)

Hungarian Republic (1946–1949)

Parties   FKGP   MKP-MDP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 János Gyöngyösi
(1893–1951) 		1 February 1946 31 May 1947 FKGP F. Nagy
FKGP–MKP–MSZDP–NPP 		23 (1945)
— Ernő Mihályfi
(1898–1972)
acting 		31 May 1947 24 September 1947 FKGP Dinnyés
MKP–FKGP–MSZDP–NPP
2 Erik Molnár
(1894–1966)
1st term 		24 September 1947 5 August 1948 MKP 24 (1947)
3 László Rajk
(1909–1949) 		5 August 1948 10 December 1948 MDP
10 December 1948 11 June 1949 Dobi
MDP–FKGP–NPP
4 Gyula Kállai
(1910–1996) 		11 June 1949 20 August 1949 MDP 25 (1949)

Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989)

Parties   MDP-MSZMP   MSZP

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
1 Gyula Kállai
(1910–1996) 		20 August 1949 12 May 1951 MDP Dobi
MDP 		25 (1949)
2 Károly Kiss
(1903–1983) 		12 May 1951 14 August 1952 MDP
14 August 1952 14 November 1952 Rákosi
MDP
3 Erik Molnár
(1894–1966)
2nd term 		14 November 1952 4 July 1953 MDP
4 János Boldóczki
(1912–1988) 		4 July 1953 18 April 1955 MDP I. Nagy I
MDP 		26 (1953)
18 April 1955 30 July 1956 Hegedüs
MDP
5 Imre Horváth
(1901–1958)
1st term 		30 July 1956 24 October 1956 MDP
24 October 1956 2 November 1956 I. Nagy II
MDP/MSZMP–FKGP
6 Imre Nagy
(1896–1958) 		2 November 1956 4 November 1956 MSZMP I. Nagy III
MSZMP–FKGP–MSZDP–PP
7 Imre Horváth
(1901–1958)
2nd term 		4 November 1956 28 January 1958 MSZMP Kádár I
MSZMP
28 January 1958 2 February 1958
(died in office) 		Münnich
MSZMP
8 Endre Sík
(1891–1978) 		2 February 1958 13 September 1961 MSZMP
27 (1958)
9 János Péter
(1910–1999) 		13 September 1961 30 June 1965 MSZMP Kádár II
MSZMP
28 (1963)
30 June 1965 14 April 1967 Kállai
MSZMP
14 April 1967 14 December 1973 Fock
MSZMP 		29 (1967)
30 (1971)
10 Frigyes Puja
(1921–2008) 		14 December 1973 15 May 1975 MSZMP
15 May 1975 8 July 1983 Lázár
MSZMP
31 (1975)
32 (1980)
11 Péter Várkonyi
(1931–2008) 		8 July 1983 25 June 1987 MSZMP
33 (1985)
25 June 1987 24 November 1988 Grósz
MSZMP
24 November 1988 10 May 1989 Németh
(MSZMP)→MSZP
12 Gyula Horn
(1932–2013) 		10 May 1989 7 October 1989 MSZMP
(12) 7 October 1989 23 October 1989 MSZP

Hungarian Republic / Hungary (1989–present)

Parties   MSZP   Fidesz   MDF   Independent

No. Portrait Name
(Birth–Death) 		Term of office Political party Cabinet Assembly
(Election)
— Gyula Horn
(1932–2013)
provisional 		23 October 1989 23 May 1990 MSZP Németh
MSZP 		—
1 Géza Jeszenszky
(born 1941) 		23 May 1990 21 December 1993 MDF Antall
MDF–FKGP–KDNP 		34 (1990)
21 December 1993 15 July 1994 Boross
MDF–EKGP–KDNP
2 László Kovács
(born 1939)
1st term 		15 July 1994 8 July 1998 MSZP Horn
MSZP–SZDSZ 		35 (1994)
3 János Martonyi
(born 1944)
1st term 		8 July 1998 27 May 2002 Independent Orbán I
Fidesz–FKGP–MDF 		36 (1998)
(2) László Kovács
(born 1939)
2nd term 		27 May 2002 29 September 2004 MSZP Medgyessy
MSZP–SZDSZ 		37 (2002)
29 September 2004 1 November 2004 Gyurcsány I
MSZP–SZDSZ
4 Ferenc Somogyi
(1945–2021) 		1 November 2004 9 June 2006 Independent
5 Kinga Göncz
(born 1947) 		9 June 2006 14 April 2009 Independent Gyurcsány II
MSZP–SZDSZ 		38 (2006)
6 Péter Balázs
(born 1941) 		14 April 2009 29 May 2010 Independent Bajnai
MSZP
(3) János Martonyi
(born 1944)
2nd term 		29 May 2010 6 June 2014 Fidesz Orbán II
Fidesz–KDNP 		39 (2010)
7 Tibor Navracsics
(born 1966) 		6 June 2014 23 September 2014 Fidesz Orbán III
Fidesz–KDNP 		40 (2014)
8 Péter Szijjártó
(born 1978) 		23 September 2014 18 May 2018 Fidesz
18 May 2018 24 May 2022 Orbán IV
Fidesz–KDNP 		41 (2018)
24 May 2022 Incumbent Orbán V
Fidesz–KDNP 		42 (2022)

See also

Cabinet ministers
Categories