Zoltán Pokorni

Zoltán Pokorni
Minister of Education of Hungary
In office 8 July 1998 – 15 July 2001
Preceded by	Bálint Magyar
Succeeded by	József Pálinkás
Personal details
Born	(1962-01-10)10 January 1962 Budapest, People's Republic of Hungary
Political party	Fidesz
Profession	educator, politician

Zoltán Pokorni (born 10 January 1962) is a Hungarian educator and politician, who served as Minister of Education between 1998 and 2001.

He finished his studies in the Eötvös Loránd University in 1987. After that he worked as a teacher for the Toldy Ferenc Grammar School. He was a founding member of the Association of Young Educators and the Democratic Union of Educators (PDSZ). He was the spokesman of the latter organization too until 1993. He also took part in the negotiations of the Opposition Round Table, during that time he was the chief editor of the Rádió. He joined to the Fidesz in 1993.

Pokorni became a member of the National Assembly of Hungary in 1994. He was a deputy chairman of the Committee of Education, Research, Youth and Sport between 1994 and 1998. He served as leader of the Fidesz parliamentary group from 1997 to 1998.

The Fidesz won the 1998 elections. The new Prime Minister Viktor Orbán appointed him Minister of Education. During his ministership the integration of the high education institutions finished, the student loan system established and the tuition abolished. He was elected to the President of the Fidesz, following László Kövér as a result of he resigned from the ministerial position. After the abortive 2002 elections he became group leader again.

On July 2002 that information came to light about his father, János Pokorni, that early worked for the Ministry of the Interior as III/III agent. Pokorni resigned immediately from the position of party and parliamentarian group leader. He returned to the politics on May 2003, he was appointed one of the vice presidents of the Fidesz. He gain a seat on the 2006 elections again. He did not take on the function of group leader because of his conflicts with the party leadership. Pokorni was appointed mayor of the XII District of Budapest (Hegyvidék) in 2006.

Married, his wife is Andrea Beck psychologist. They have four children: Benedek Donát (1992), Ágoston Jakab (1996), Ábel Boldizsár (1999) and Barnabás Vince (2001).

References

• Pokorni Zoltán honlapja
• Hegyvidéki Önkormányzat honlapja
• Pokorni Zoltán országgyűlési adatlapja
• Pokorni Zoltán életrajza a Fidesz honlapján