The native form of this personal name is Tarlós István. This article uses the Western name order.
István Tarlós (pronounced [ˈiʃtvaːn ˈtɒrloːʃ]; 26 May 1948 in Budapest) is the Mayor of Budapest since 2010. He was the Mayor of the Third District of the city (Óbuda) between 1990 and 2006 (as an independent candidate). Since 2006 he is the Chairman of the FIDESZ (the part of European People's Party (EPP)) MPSZ-KDNP Fraction-Alliance in General Assembly of the Municipality of Budapest, and served as the political leader of the initiative „Social Referendum 2008".
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István Tarlós was born on May 26, 1948 in Budapest. He graduated from Árpád High School's Humanities Department. He then started to work as an unskilled laborer before he faced conscription and joined the military in Orosháza. Tarlós completed the Technical University in Budapest and received his Civil Engineer Diploma later. He then post-graduated in Finance and Organization from Ybl Miklós Technical College. Tarlós worked for 15 years in the Building Industry mostly in investor and contractor tasks. Among the companies he worked for were Vasútépítő Vállalat, FŐBER, ÉM, Mélyépítő Vállalat, KKMV, IKV Budapest III. In his civil engineer career Tarlós worked in many positions such as foreman, deputy construction leader, construction leader, technical controller and head of production department. In the early 90's Tarlós launched his own architect studio with wife, Cecilia Nagy.
Tarlós wasn't active in politics before the political change of the 90's.
Tarlós first entered politics by becoming a member of anti-communist SZDSZ (Alliance of Free Democrats) in 1989. He then, supported by SZDSZ and FIDESZ, became Budapest District III Mayor in 1990.
Tarlós left SZDSZ because of mental and moral differences in the summer of 1994. Tarlós couldn't accept the radical change in directions and principles of the party within the short period of its existence. He is an independent politician since then. As independent he had been continually reelected with great majority as Mayor in Budapest District III in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
Tarlós made it to establish functioning nexus with the liberal and socialist fraction within the Municipality of his district. The General Assembly regularly passed Tarlós's Budget Plan and Budget Report without abstention and black ball. The remains of the first conservative party of Mr. József Antall of the democratic Hungary, MDF was only to handle Tarlós's Budapest Mayor candidacy controversial, which resulted in numerous secession of own party members and leaders as well as demonstrations on the streets of District III and within the own walls.
Tarlós, supported by FIDESZ Alliance of Mr. Viktor Orbán, entered the local election in 2006 as Budapest Mayor candidate, and lost by a mere 1 per cent against Mr. Gábor Demszky Budapest Mayor. Until Tarlós's challenge Mr. Demszky has always received great majority. On the other hand Tarlós received more votes than his supporter, FIDESZ Alliance all together.
Tarlós, still as independent but declared conservative politician, is currently leading the FIDESZ-KDNP Fraction-Alliance in the Municipality of Budapest from October, 2006. Next to his role as fraction-leader Tarlós is presently leading the "Social Referendum 2008" campaign, initiated by FIDESZ Alliance and Civil Social Basis.
Through assignment of numerous district mayors Tarlos became vice-chairman of the Council of Regional Development between 1999-2003. He visited the Institutions of the EU in Brussels on diverse occasions. During this period Tarlós lead the Commission for Strategic Planning of the Central-Hungarian Region and co-founded the Hungarian Society of Law-Enforcement-Science, the Baross Gábor Society and became member of the Széchenyi Society. Additionally Tarlós was given the task of the honorary chairman of the Disaster-Recovery and Civil Protection Council as well as of the Braunhaxler Association of Budapest District III. He is furthermore member of the board of the Christian Intellectual Alliance.
Father, Dr. István Tarlós lawyer, mother Hilda Dienes chief accountant, both worked for the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
István Tarlós is married for 34 years, wife Cecilia Nagy is civil engineer.
Tarlós has three grown up children and two grandchildren.
He was elected with the program of bringing the companies in local government ownership under direct local government control and full oversight of the assembly. He pledged to divert more funds to material and salary expenditures of services (police, firefighters, schools, public transport) the state of which he described as neglected. Instead of always choosing between individual developments while the stability of the city is according to him always pressed to the limit, he wants to drive the macroeconomic curves of the city into a long-term self-sustaining.[1] He was promised funds for finishing infrastructure investments and for boosting the quality of daily services, from Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.[2]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Gábor Demszky |
Mayor of Budapest 2010– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |