Imre Ritter (german: Emmerich Ritter; born 5 August 1952) is a Hungarian mathematician, auditor, tax consultant, politician and MP for the
National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary
The National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary (german: Landesselbstverwaltung der Ungarndeutschen, LdU; hu, Magyarországi Németek Országos Önkormányzata, MNOÖ) is the nationwide representative organization of the German minority in Hu ...
(MNOÖ).
Between 2011 and 2014, he was the Vice-President of the
National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary
The National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary (german: Landesselbstverwaltung der Ungarndeutschen, LdU; hu, Magyarországi Németek Országos Önkormányzata, MNOÖ) is the nationwide representative organization of the German minority in Hu ...
, and since 2014 the first national advocate of the German minority in the
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
.
Life and profession
Ritter went to elementary school in his hometown,
Budaörs
Budaörs (; german: Wudersch; hr, Jerša, or ; la, Vicus Teuto) is a town in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary.
Location
A suburb of Budapest, the town lies among the Buda and Csiki hills and the Tétény plateau in the Buda ...
, then graduated from the ''Fényes Elek Secondary School of Economics'' in
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
. He was then admitted to the
Karl Marx University of Economics
Corvinus University of Budapest ( hu, Budapesti Corvinus Egyetem) is a university in Budapest, Hungary. The university currently has an enrolment of approximately 9,600 students, with a primary focus on business administration, economics, and so ...
where he graduated in 1976. He was employed at the
Budapest Transport Company (BKV), where he initially worked as an economist and then became the economic deputy director. Meanwhile, he studied at the
Eötvös Loránd University
Eötvös Loránd University ( hu, Eötvös Loránd Tudományegyetem, ELTE) is a Hungarian public research university based in Budapest. Founded in 1635, ELTE is one of the largest and most prestigious public higher education institutions in Hung ...
applied mathematics
Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathematical s ...
and earned his degree in 1982. In 1990 he left BKV when he founded his own accountancy and tax advisory office (the latter qualification was obtained in 1988). From 1996 on, the office started auditing. Ritter also has a tax expert qualification.
Political career
After the
end of communism, Ritter actively participated in the emerging national minority self-government. In 1994 he became a member of the first minority self-government in his hometown,
Budaörs
Budaörs (; german: Wudersch; hr, Jerša, or ; la, Vicus Teuto) is a town in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary.
Location
A suburb of Budapest, the town lies among the Buda and Csiki hills and the Tétény plateau in the Buda ...
, and shortly afterward he was elected president. In 1998 he was elected President of the Financial Committee of the
National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary
The National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary (german: Landesselbstverwaltung der Ungarndeutschen, LdU; hu, Magyarországi Németek Országos Önkormányzata, MNOÖ) is the nationwide representative organization of the German minority in Hu ...
(MNOÖ) and was re-elected in 2003 and 2007. In 2011 he was elected Vice President of the MNOÖ. At the Hungarian parliamentary election in 1998 as the candidate of the ''Nationality Forum'' he could not obtain a mandate. In 1998, he was granted a privileged mandate as an independent German minority candidate at the Budaörs representative body, in which he spent a cycle. In 2006, he became a member of the representative body of Budaörs as a candidate of the
Fidesz–KDNP
Fidesz–KDNP Party Alliance ( hu, Fidesz–KDNP pártszövetség), formerly also known as the Alliance of Hungarian Solidarity ( hu, Magyar Szolidaritás Szövetsége), is a right-wing national conservatism, national conservative political allian ...
, and in 2010 he candidated for the mayor of
Budaörs
Budaörs (; german: Wudersch; hr, Jerša, or ; la, Vicus Teuto) is a town in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary.
Location
A suburb of Budapest, the town lies among the Buda and Csiki hills and the Tétény plateau in the Buda ...
, but was defeated by incumbent mayor
Tamás Wittinghoff. At the 2014 parliamentary election, he was the second runner in the German nationality list. Since the list did not get the sufficient number of votes and
Ottó Heinek did not accept his mandate, Ritter became the first national advocate of the German minority in the Hungarian
National Assembly
In politics, a national assembly is either a unicameral legislature, the lower house of a bicameral legislature, or both houses of a bicameral legislature together. In the English language it generally means "an assembly composed of the repre ...
. For this reason, he resigned from his municipal government roles.
He was elected leader of the German nationality list at the
2018 parliamentary election where he received one seat in the National Assembly representing the
National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary
The National Self-Government of Germans in Hungary (german: Landesselbstverwaltung der Ungarndeutschen, LdU; hu, Magyarországi Németek Országos Önkormányzata, MNOÖ) is the nationwide representative organization of the German minority in Hu ...
(MNOÖ).
He became the first German minority representative in Hungary since the death of
Jakob Bleyer in 1933.
During his first term as Member of Parliament, Ritter supported the government, voting for the ruling party Fidesz in most cases in the National Assembly. In several cases, he secured the two-thirds majority for the
Orbán government in the passage of laws requiring it. Ritter became president of the Committee of Hungarian Nationalities in the parliament. He also worked in the Committee on Budgets. Ritter also decided to represent the interests of the other twelve "historical" national minorities, which sent advocates to the parliament, but were ineligible to elect their own MP due to fail to reach the lowered preferential quota. The government has multiplied the amount of state support for the MNOÖ during the 2018–2022 parliamentary term. Ritter was re-elected MP for the German minority in the
2022 Hungarian parliamentary election.
Personal life
He is married to Vera Ritter. They have five children – four daughters, Orsolya, Mónika, Mária, Annarose and a son, Gergely. His wife works as teacher in the Jakob Bleyer German Nationality Elementary School.
He speaks
Hungarian and
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
fluently and also has an
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
language exam of intermediate level.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritter, Imre
1952 births
Members of the National Assembly of Hungary (2018–2022)
Members of the National Assembly of Hungary (2022–2026)
Fidesz politicians
Eötvös Loránd University alumni
Corvinus University of Budapest alumni
Danube-Swabian people
Living people
20th-century Hungarian mathematicians
21st-century Hungarian mathematicians