Gábor Kuncze

Gábor Kuncze (born November 4, 1950 in Pápa) is a Hungarian liberal politician, former chairman of the Hungarian Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ).^[1][2] After his political carrier he became anchorman at the radio channel Klubrádió and at the television channel ATV.^[3]

Biography

Kuncze was born in Pápa in 1950. After graduating from the piarist grammar school in Kecskemét he studied geotechnical engineering in the Ybl Miklós Technical College in Budapest and graduated from there in 1974. Later he got a degree of Economics specialized in Industry Management and Organization. Kuncze is married to mathematics teacher Katalin Fellegi.^[1]

Political career

Kuncze joined the party in August 1992,^[1] two years after the first free and democratic parliamentary elections following the collapse of the Communist system. In November 1992 he was elected a member of the National Assembly and in October 1994 a member of the National Executive Committee of the party. From April 1997 until June 1998 he was the chairman of the Alliance of Free Democrats. He retired from his position following the party's relatively weak results on the 1998 parliamentary elections. However, he took over the liberal party again on July 1, 2001 and was reelected as party chairman in 2003 and 2005. In 2006 Kuncze announced not to run for the chair in the following year or any executive positions in the future.

Kuncze has been a member of parliament since 1990. He was the leader of the Parliament group of the party from 1993 to 1994, and from 1994 until 1998 Minister of Interior and Deputy Prime Minister.^[1] After 1998 - as one of the leading opposition politicians in the parliament - he heavily criticised the work of Orbán's government. He initiated the introduction of a two-level minimum salary system, but his proposal was not negotiated by the National Assembly - that time with a right-wing majority. He also heavily criticised the governing Fidesz for their decision to hold plenary sessions of the unicameral National Assembly only every third week.

References

1. ^ ^{a b c d} "Kuncze Gábor" (in Hungarian). parlament.hu. http://www.parlament.hu/internet/plsql/ogy_kpv.kepv_adat?p_azon=k225&p_ckl=38. Retrieved 2010-01-24. 
2. ^ "Political Leaders: Hungary" (in English). terra.es. http://www.terra.es/personal2/monolith/hungary.htm. Retrieved 2010-01-24. 
3. ^ Kuncze's new programme at the ATV, atv.hu

External links

• Hungarian Parliament