Péter Medgyessy
Hungarian politician / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Péter Medgyessy (born 19 October 1942) is a Hungarian economist and politician who served as the Prime Minister of Hungary from 2002 to 2004. He is a member of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and was elected to parliament in 1994.
Péter Medgyessy | |
---|---|
Prime Minister of Hungary 5th Prime Minister of the Third Republic of Hungary | |
In office 27 May 2002 – 29 September 2004 | |
President | Ferenc Mádl |
Preceded by | Viktor Orbán |
Succeeded by | Ferenc Gyurcsány |
Minister of Finance | |
In office 1 January 1987 – 15 December 1987 | |
Preceded by | István Hetényi |
Succeeded by | Miklós Villányi |
In office 1 March 1996 – 7 July 1998 | |
Preceded by | Lajos Bokros |
Succeeded by | Zsigmond Járai |
Personal details | |
Born | (1942-10-19) 19 October 1942 (age 81)![]() |
Political party | independent (MSZMP until 1989) |
Spouse(s) | Katalin Csaplár |
Profession | Economist |
Website | www.medgyessy.hu |
Medgyessy was born on October 19, 1942, in Budapest, Hungary. He studied economics at the Budapest University of Economics and later earned a PhD in the same field from the Karl Marx University of Economics in Moscow.
Medgyessy worked as an economist for several years before entering politics in the 1990s. He was appointed as the Minister of Finance under Prime Minister Gyula Horn in 1996 and held the position until 1998.
In 2002, Medgyessy was elected as Prime Minister of Hungary after his party won a narrow victory in the parliamentary elections. His government pursued a program of economic and social reforms aimed at reducing Hungary's budget deficit and promoting growth.
Medgyessy's government introduced a number of measures aimed at improving Hungary's fiscal position and stimulating economic growth. These measures included the introduction of a flat tax system, the privatization of state-owned enterprises, and the reform of the pension system.
However, Medgyessy's government faced several challenges during its time in power, including a series of corruption scandals and accusations of economic mismanagement. In 2004, Medgyessy resigned as Prime Minister after losing the support of his coalition partners.
Following his resignation, Medgyessy returned to academia and became a professor of economics at the Budapest University of Economics. He also served as the Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Hungarian Development Bank from 2007 to 2010.
Medgyessy has been a vocal critic of Hungary's current government and its leader, Viktor Orbán, and has spoken out against what he sees as the government's authoritarian tendencies and disregard for the rule of law.
Overall, Medgyessy is regarded as a competent economist and a committed public servant, though his time as Prime Minister was marred by controversy and political turmoil. He remains active in public life and continues to advocate for progressive economic policies and democratic values.