Miklós Németh
Hungarian economist and politician / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Miklós Németh (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈmikloːʃ ˈneːmɛt], born 24 January 1948) is a Hungarian politician who served as the Prime Minister of Hungary from 1988 to 1990. He is known for his role in bringing down the Iron Curtain and dismantling the Communist regime in Hungary.
Miklós Németh | |
---|---|
11th Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary | |
In office 24 November 1988 – 23 October 1989 | |
President | Brunó Ferenc Straub |
Deputy | Péter Medgyessy |
Preceded by | Károly Grósz |
Succeeded by | Himselfas Provisional Prime Minister |
Prime Minister of Hungary Provisional | |
In office 23 October 1989 – 23 May 1990 | |
President | Mátyás Szűrös (provisional) |
Deputy | Péter Medgyessy |
Preceded by | Himselfas Chairman of the Council of Ministers |
Succeeded by | József Antall |
Member of the National Assembly | |
In office 5 October 1988 – 22 April 1991 | |
Personal details | |
Born | (1948-01-24) January 24, 1948 (age 76) Monok, Hungary |
Nationality | Hungarian |
Political party | MSZMP (1976–1989) MSZP (1989–1990) Independent (since 1990) |
Spouse(s) | Erzsébet Szilágyi |
Profession | economist, academic professor |
Németh was born on January 24, 1948, in Monok, Hungary. He studied economics at the Karl Marx University of Economics in Budapest and later earned a doctorate in economics from the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. In 1971, he began working for the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP), the ruling Communist party in Hungary at the time.
In 1987, Németh was appointed as Minister of State in charge of economic affairs. As the Hungarian economy struggled under Communist rule, Németh sought to introduce reforms that would open up the economy to market forces and increase private enterprise. He believed that a market-oriented approach was necessary to modernize the economy and improve the standard of living for Hungarians.
In 1988, Németh became the Prime Minister of Hungary. He continued his efforts to reform the economy and pursued a policy of openness towards the West. He lifted restrictions on travel and allowed Hungarian citizens to travel freely to the West. He also initiated talks with the neighboring countries of Austria and Czechoslovakia, which ultimately led to the dismantling of the Iron Curtain.
One of Németh's most significant achievements was his role in opening the border between Hungary and Austria in 1989. This move allowed thousands of East Germans who were vacationing in Hungary to escape to the West. The event marked a turning point in the collapse of the Communist regimes in Eastern Europe.
Németh's reforms also led to significant changes within Hungary. He introduced a multi-party system, and the first free elections in Hungary were held in 1990. The Hungarian Democratic Forum, a center-right party, won the elections, and Németh stepped down as Prime Minister.
After leaving politics, Németh continued to work in academia and served as the president of the Corvinus University of Budapest from 1997 to 2000. He also remained active in politics and was elected to the Hungarian Parliament in 2002.
In recognition of his role in the collapse of the Communist regime, Németh was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1990 and the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2008.
Today, Németh is widely regarded as a hero of the democratic movement in Hungary and a symbol of the country's transition to democracy. His efforts to bring down the Iron Curtain and open up the economy have had a lasting impact on Hungary and the wider world.