Attila Mesterházy

Attila Mesterházy (born on 30 January 1974 in Pécs) is a Hungarian politician, chairman of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) since 10 July 2010. He was the party's candidate for the position of Prime Minister of Hungary in the Hungarian parliamentary election, 2010.^[1]

Biography

Mesterházy was born in 1974 in Pécs. In the years 1988-1992 he attended secondary school (Lovassy László Gimnázium) in Veszprém. In 1992-1997 he studied economics at the Corvinus University in Budapest. In 1999, his Ph.D. at the university. He was a Fellow at the University of Valladolid in Spanish (1995-1996), Diplomatic Academy in Vienna (1996.1998) and the University of Groningen in Dutch (1997). In 2005, received his Ph.D. from the University of Semmelweis, in Budapest.

In 1997 and in 1998 he worked in the Prime Minister's Office as a specialist on economic and European integration. In 1999-2000 he was manager of the company Hill and Knowlton dealing with the public relations. In 2000 he returned to the political scene and became an advisor to Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy. In 2002-2004 he served as Secretary of State for Children, Youth and Sports in his office. In 2004 he joined the National Assembly of Hungary. From 2004 to 2006 he served as State Secretary in the Ministry of Youth, Family, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities during the rule of Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány. In 2003 he was a member of the national executive of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP). In April 2009, was one of its vice-presidents, and was appointed chairman of its parliamentary caucus.

December 12, 2009, during the MSZP congress, by a vote of 90% of delegates, was elected the Socialist candidate for the post of prime minister in parliamentary elections in 2010.

As chairman of MSZP in the 2010 municipal elections he sang "bikicsunáj", while also using the term "comrades" (elvtársak) to address other party members and sympathizers.^[2]

In an interview to Népszava daily on 23 June 2011 Mesterházy insisted that “people will replace Viktor Orbán in 2014″. He said in the interview given after the Socialists held a congress at the weekend to decide on the party’s future direction that the ruling centre-right Fidesz party would not change in the meantime. He also said “between two elections, the only measure that can orientate people and warn the governing parties is whose support is growing”.^[3]

Attila Mesterházy is married and has two children. He speaks English and Spanish.

References

External links

• Adatlapja az MSZP honlapján
• Tevékenysége a Parlamentben