List of heads of state of Hungary

President of Hungary
Standard of the President
Incumbent János Áder since 10 May 2012
Residence	Sándor Palace
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

Hungary

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Hungary

Constitution President János Áder Prime Minister (List) Viktor Orbán National Assembly Speaker László Kövér Political parties Fidesz - Jobbik - KDNP LMP - MDF - MSZP Other parties Constitutional Court Elections 2010 2012 Politics of the European Union Foreign relations

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For earlier rulers, see Grand Prince of the Hungarians, King of Hungary and List of rulers of Hungary

Heads of State of Hungary

Hungarian Revolution of 1848

Parties       Opposition Party

Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
	Lajos Kossuth	14 April 1849	11 August 1849	Opposition Party	Governor-President; appointed after the declaration of independent Hungarian state.
	Artúr Görgey acting civil and military authority	11 August 1849	13 August 1849	Military	Surrendered Hungarian army to the Russian troops at Világos; the end of the Revolution.

Hungarian Democratic Republic (1918–1919)

Parties       Independence Party

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
1		Mihály Károlyi	16 November 1918	21 March 1919	Independence Party	President of the Republic

Hungarian Soviet Republic (1919)

Parties       Socialist Party of Hungary       Hungarian Socialist Workers Party

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
2		Sándor Garbai	21 March 1919	1 August 1919	Socialist Party of Hungary	Chairman of the Central Executive Council/Prime Minister; Hungarian–Romanian War.
3		Gyula Peidl	1 August 1919	6 August 1919	MSZDP	Acting President/Prime Minister; the end of the Hungarian–Romanian War.

Romanian Occupation (1919–1920)

Parties       KNEP

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
4		Joseph August	6 August 1919	23 August 1919	Independent	Regent; Romania occupies Hungary.
		István Friedrich	23 August 1919	24 November 1919	Independent → KNEP	Acting Head of State/Prime Minister; Romanian occupation continues.
		Károly Huszár	24 November 1919	1 March 1920	KNEP	Acting Head of State/Prime Minister; Romanian occupation ends.

Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1944)

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
1		Miklós Horthy	1 March 1920	15 October 1944	Independent	Regent of a Kingdom with no King on the throne

Occupation of Hungary by Nazi Germany (1944–1945)

Parties       Arrow Cross Party

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
		Ferenc Szálasi	16 October 1944	28 March 1945	Arrow Cross Party	Government of National Unity

Soviet Occupation (1944–1946)

Parties       Independent

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
		Béla Miklós in opposition	21 December 1944	25 January 1945	Independent	Prime Minister for a Communist-dominated puppet-government in the Soviet occupied portions of the country; Hungary is occupied by the Red Army.
		High National Council in opposition to 28 March 1945	26 January 1945	1 February 1946	Multi-party	Collective Head of State of the Kingdom of Hungary

Republic of Hungary (1946–1949)

Parties       FKGP       MKP-MDP

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

People's Republic of Hungary (1949–1989)

Parties       MDP-MSZMP       Non-partisan

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
7		Árpád Szakasits	23 August 1949	26 April 1950	MDP	Chairman of the Presidential Council
8		Sándor Rónai	26 April 1950	14 August 1952	MDP	Chairman of the Presidential Council
9		István Dobi	14 August 1952	13 April 1967	MDP/MSZMP	Chairman of the Presidential Council
10		Pál Losonczi	13 April 1967	25 June 1987	MSZMP	Chairman of the Presidential Council
11		Károly Németh	25 June 1987	29 June 1988	MSZMP	Chairman of the Presidential Council
12		Brunó Ferenc Straub	29 June 1988	18 October 1989	Non-partisan	Chairman of the Presidential Council

Hungary (1989–Present)

Parties       MSZMP-MSZP       SZDSZ       Non-partisan       Fidesz

#	Picture	Name	From	Until	Political Party	Notes
		Mátyás Szűrös	18 October 1989	2 May 1990	MSZMP	Interim President
13		Árpád Göncz	2 May 1990	4 August 2000	SZDSZ	President of the Republic
14		Ferenc Mádl	4 August 2000	5 August 2005	Non-partisan	President of the Republic
15		László Sólyom	5 August 2005	6 August 2010	Non-partisan	President of the Republic
16		Pál Schmitt	6 August 2010	2 April 2012 (resigned)	Fidesz	President of the Republic
		László Kövér	2 April 2012	10 May 2012	Fidesz	Acting President
17		János Áder	10 May 2012	Incumbent	Fidesz	President of the Republic

General Secretaries of the Hungarian Communist/Socialist Workers' Party (1945–1989)

#	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	MDP
3		János Kádár	25 October 1956	27 May 1988	MSZMP	also Prime Minister (1956–1958 and 1961–1965)
4		Károly Grósz	27 May 1988	26 June 1989	MSZMP	also Prime Minister (1987–1988)
5		Rezső Nyers	26 June 1989	7 October 1989	MSZMP	chairman, not General Secretary

Living former Presidents

Name	Term	Date of birth
Mátyás Szűrös	1989–1990	11 September 1933
Árpád Göncz	1990–2000	10 February 1922
László Sólyom	2005–2010	3 January 1942
Pál Schmitt	2010–2012	13 May 1942

Latest election

Main article: Hungarian presidential election, 2012

Hungarian presidential election, 2012

Candidate	Nominating Party	Votes	%
In favor of János Áder	Fidesz	262
Against Áder	---	40
Did not vote		79
Invalid votes		5
Total votes		307
Total seats		386	100.00

See also

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