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 .
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 Ministeruntil 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 .
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
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
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
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
Independent
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Political party
Position(s)
Took office
Left office
Time in office
2 Miklós Horthy (1868–1957) 1 March 1920 15 October 1944 24 years, 228 daysIndependent Regent of Hungary
Parties
NYKP
No.
Portrait
Name(Birth–Death)
Term of office
Political party
Position(s)
Took office
Left office
Time in office
1 Ferenc Szálasi (1897–1946) 16 October 1944 28 March 1945 163 daysNYKP Leader 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 MinisterIn opposition
—
High National Council
26 January 1945
1 February 1946
1 year, 6 days
Multi-party
Collective Head of StateIn opposition to 28 March 1945
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
Chairman of the Presidential Council
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
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]
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
2 August 1990
10 years, 94 days
SZDSZ
Acting President of the Republic
—
1
3 August 1990
3 August 1995
President of the Republic
1 (1990)
4 August 1995
3 August 2000
2 (1995)
2
Ferenc Mádl (1931–2011)
4 August 2000
4 August 2005
5 years, 1 day
Independent
3 (2000)
3
László Sólyom (1942–2023)
5 August 2005
5 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
9 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
4 March 2024
8 days
Acting President of the Republic
—
7
Tamás Sulyok (born 1956)
5 March 2024
Incumbent
153 days
Independent
President of the Republic
9 (2024)
Timeline
See also
Notes
^ 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
External links