List of heads of state of Hungary

President of Hungary
Standard of the President
Incumbent János Áder since 10 May 2012
Residence	Sándor Palace Budapest, Hungary
Appointer	National Assembly
Term length	Five years, renewable once
Inaugural holder	Mátyás Szűrös
Formation	18 October 1989
Website	The Office of the President of the Republic of Hungary: keh.hu (in Hungarian; at October 2012, home page offered link to English module)

Hungary
This article is part of a series on the politics and government of Hungary
Constitution 1949 Constitution
Executive President János Áder Government Current cabinet Prime Minister (list) Viktor Orbán
Parliament National Assembly Speaker: László Kövér Political parties Fidesz Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) Jobbik Politics Can Be Different (LMP) Dialogue for Hungary (PM) Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) Democratic Coalition (DK)
Recent elections Parliamentary: 2006 2010 2014 Presidential: 2005 2010 2012
Administrative divisions Counties Regions Subregions
Foreign relations
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For earlier rulers, see Grand Prince of the Hungarians, King of Hungary and List of rulers of Hungary

This is a list of heads of state of Hungary from the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 until the present day.

Currently, the head of state of Hungary is the President of the Republic, elected by the members of the National Assembly every five years, and he or she has a largely ceremonial role. By the Constitution of Hungary, based on the post-World War II Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Hungarian Prime Minister has a leading role in the executive branch as he selects Cabinet ministers and has the exclusive right to dismiss them.

The current President of the Republic is János Áder, who took office on 10 May 2012.

Heads of State of Hungary (1848–Present)

Hungarian Revolution of 1848 (1848–1849)

Parties       Opposition Party       Military

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
1		Lajos Kossuth	14 April 1849	11 August 1849	Opposition Party	Governor-President Also Prime Minister until 1 May 1849
		Artúr Görgey	11 August 1849	13 August 1849	Military	Acting civil and military authority

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

Kingdom of Hungary during Austria-Hungary (1867–1918)

Hungarian Democratic Republic (1918–1919)

Parties       Independence Party

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
1		Mihály Károlyi	16 November 1918	21 March 1919	Independence Party	President of the Republic Also Prime Minister until 11 January 1919

Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919)

Parties       Socialist Party of Hungary       MSZDP

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
1		Sándor Garbai	21 March 1919	1 August 1919	Socialist Party of Hungary	Head of State Also Prime Minister
		Gyula Peidl	1 August 1919	6 August 1919	MSZDP	Acting Head of State Also Prime Minister

Counter-Revolutionary Governments (1919)

Parties       Independent

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
1		Archduke Joseph August	6 August 1919	23 August 1919	Independent (Regent)	Regent of Hungary

Hungarian Democratic Republic (1919–1920)

Parties       KNEP

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
		István Friedrich	23 August 1919	24 November 1919	Independent → KNEP	Acting Head of State Also Prime Minister
		Károly Huszár	24 November 1919	1 March 1920	KNEP	Acting Head of State Also Prime Minister

Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)

Parties       Independent

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
2		Miklós Horthy	1 March 1920	15 October 1944	Independent (Regent)	Regent of Hungary

Government of National Unity (1944–1945)

Parties       Arrow Cross Party

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
1		Ferenc Szálasi	16 October 1944	28 March 1945	Arrow Cross Party	Leader of the Nation De facto, appointed by the Germans Also Prime Minister

Soviet Backed Provisional Governments (1944–1946)

Parties       Independent

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
		Béla Miklós	21 December 1944	25 January 1945	Independent	Head of State Also Prime Minister In opposition
		High National Council	26 January 1945	1 February 1946	Multi-party	Collective Head of State In opposition to 28 March 1945

Republic of Hungary (1946–1949)

Parties       FKGP       MKP-MDP

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
1		Zoltán Tildy	1 February 1946	2 August 1948	FKGP	President of the Republic
2		Árpád Szakasits	2 August 1948	23 August 1949	MDP	President of the Republic

People's Republic of Hungary (1949–1989)

Chairman of the Presidential Council

Parties       MDP-MSZMP       Independent

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title
1		Árpád Szakasits	23 August 1949	26 April 1950	MDP	Chairman of the Presidential Council
2		Sándor Rónai	26 April 1950	14 August 1952		Chairman of the Presidential Council
3		István Dobi	14 August 1952	25 October 1956		Chairman of the Presidential Council
(3)			25 October 1956	13 April 1967	MSZMP
4		Pál Losonczi	13 April 1967	25 June 1987		Chairman of the Presidential Council
5		Károly Németh	25 June 1987	29 June 1988		Chairman of the Presidential Council
6		Brunó Ferenc Straub	29 June 1988	18 October 1989	Independent	Chairman of the Presidential Council

General Secretary of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party

Parties       MDP-MSZMP

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
1		Mátyás Rákosi	February 1945	18 July 1956	MDP	Also Prime Minister (1952–1953)
2		Ernő Gerő	18 July 1956	25 October 1956
3		János Kádár	25 October 1956	27 May 1988	MSZMP	Also Prime Minister (1956–1958 and 1961–1965)
4		Károly Grósz	27 May 1988	7 October 1989		Also Prime Minister (1987–1988)
5		Rezső Nyers	26 June 1989	7 October 1989		Party President; outranked Grósz after 26 June

Hungary (1989–Present)

Parties       MSZMP-MSZP       SZDSZ       Fidesz       Independent

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Title	Term (Election)
—		Mátyás Szűrös	18 October 1989	2 May 1990	MSZP	Provisional President of the Republic	—
—		Árpád Göncz	2 May 1990	3 August 1990	SZDSZ	Acting President of the Republic	—
1			4 August 1990	4 August 1995		President of the Republic	1 (1990)
			4 August 1995	4 August 2000			2 (1995)
2		Ferenc Mádl	4 August 2000	5 August 2005	Independent		3 (2000)
3		László Sólyom	5 August 2005	6 August 2010			4 (2005)
4		Pál Schmitt	6 August 2010	2 April 2012 (resigned)	Fidesz		5 (2010)
—		László Kövér	2 April 2012	10 May 2012		Acting President of the Republic	—
5		János Áder	10 May 2012	Incumbent		President of the Republic	6 (2012)

Living former presidents

Latest election

See also

• High National Council
• List of Hungarian people
• List of Prime Ministers of Hungary
• List of Vice Presidents of the Presidential Council of Hungary

References

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