Records of prime ministers of Hungary from 1848 to the present.
Period of service
The prime minister with the longest single term was Count
Kálmán Tisza
Kálmán Tisza de Borosjenő (archaic English: Coloman Tisza, or Koloman Tisza; 16 December 1830 – 23 March 1902) was the Hungarian prime minister between 1875 and 1890. He is credited with the formation of a consolidated Magyar governme ...
, lasting 14 years and 144 days from 20 October 1875 until 13 March 1890. The longest-serving prime minister is incumbent office-holder
Viktor Orbán
Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian politician who has served as prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has presided over Fidesz since 1993, with a brief break between 20 ...
, who held the position from 6 July 1998 to 27 May 2002 and from 29 May 2010 until present-day. He surpassed Kálmán Tisza as the longest-serving prime minister on 30 November 2020.
The shortest period in office is more confused, depending on the criteria.
The shortest ever period was only 17 hours, a record held by Count
János Hadik
Count János Hadik de Futak (23 November 1863 in Pálócz – 10 December 1933 in Budapest) was a Hungarian landowner and politician who served for 17 hours as Prime Minister of Hungary, beginning on 30 October 1918. His tenure coincided with ...
, from 30 October to 31 October 1918, who was asked to form a government by King
Charles IV but the
Aster Revolution
The Aster Revolution or Chrysanthemum Revolution ( hu, Őszirózsás forradalom) was a revolution in Hungary led by Count Mihály Károlyi in the aftermath of World War I which resulted in the foundation of the short-lived First Hungarian Peopl ...
broke out led by leftist liberal Count
Mihály Károlyi
Count Mihály Ádám György Miklós Károlyi de Nagykároly ( hu, gróf nagykárolyi Károlyi Mihály Ádám György Miklós; archaically English: Michael Adam George Nicholas Károlyi, or in short simple form: Michael Károlyi; 4 March 1875 ...
, who founded the
Hungarian Democratic Republic
The First Hungarian Republic ( hu, Első Magyar Köztársaság), until 21 March 1919 the Hungarian People's Republic (), was a short-lived unrecognized country, which quickly transformed into a small rump state due to the foreign and military p ...
. By the end of the day, King Charles IV had accepted the coup and appointed Károlyi as Hungary's new prime minister. Hadik had no time to form a government, so many historians believe he was just a designated premier.
In August 1919
Gyula Peidl
Gyula Peidl (4 April 1873 – 22 January 1943) was a Hungarian trade union leader and social democrat politician who served as prime minister and acting head of state of Hungary for 6 days in August 1919. His tenure coincided with a period ...
was appointed Prime Minister in the last days of the
Hungarian Soviet Republic
The Socialist Federative Republic of Councils in Hungary ( hu, Magyarországi Szocialista Szövetséges Tanácsköztársaság) (due to an early mistranslation, it became widely known as the Hungarian Soviet Republic in English-language sources ( ...
. After six days on August 6, 1919, his government was
overthrown by a rightist armed coup led by
István Friedrich
István Friedrich (anglicised as Stephen Frederick; 1 July 1883 – 25 November 1951) was a Hungarian politician, footballer and factory owner who served as prime minister of Hungary for three months between August and November in 1919. His ten ...
. Peidl went into exile in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
.
Other notables
The prime minister with the longest period between the start of his first appointment and the end of his final term was
Sándor Wekerle
Sándor Wekerle (14 November 1848 – 26 August 1921) was a Hungarian politician who served three times as prime minister. He was the first non-noble to hold the office in Hungary.
Biography
He was born in Mór to a Danube Swabian family, i ...
, whose first term began on 17 November 1892 and his third and final term ended on 30 October 1918 (nearly 26 years).
Count
Pál Teleki
Count Pál János Ede Teleki de Szék (1 November 1879 – 3 April 1941) was a Hungarian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1920 to 1921 and from 1939 to 1941. He was also an expert in geography, a un ...
holds the record for the longest period between terms—his first term ended on 14 April 1921 and his second term did not start until 16 February 1939.
Number of terms
A prime minister's "term" is traditionally regarded as the period between their appointment and resignation (or dismissal), with the number of general elections taking place in the intervening period making no difference.
The only prime minister to serve three non-consecutive terms was Sándor Wekerle (17 November 1892 – 14 January 1895, 8 April 1906 – 17 January 1910, 20 August 1917 – 30 October 1918).
Age at appointment
The youngest prime minister to be appointed was
András Hegedüs
András Hegedüs (; 31 October 1922 – 23 October 1999) was a Hungary, Hungarian Communist politician who served as Prime Minister of Hungary, Chairman of the Council of Ministers from 1955 to 1956. He fled to the Soviet Union on 28 October, ...
on 18 April 1955 at the age of 32 years, 5 months and 18 days. The second youngest was Viktor Orbán on 8 July 1998 at the age of 35 years, 1 month and 7 days.
The oldest prime minister to be appointed was Baron
Géza Fejérváry
Baron Géza Fejérváry de Komlóskeresztes (15 March 1833 – 25 April 1914) was a Hungarian general who served as the prime minister in a government of bureaucrats appointed by King Franz Joseph during the Hungarian Constitutional Crisis of 19 ...
on 18 June 1905 at the age of 72 years, 3 months and 3 days.
Age on leaving office
The youngest prime minister to leave office was András Hegedüs, who left the country during the
Hungarian Revolution of 1956
The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hunga ...
, aged 34.
Longest lived
The longest-lived prime minister is
Péter Boross
Péter Boross (born 27 August 1928) is a retired Hungarian politician and former member of the Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF) who served as Prime Minister of Hungary from December 1993 to July 1994. He assumed the position upon the death of his ...
, who was born on 27 August 1928 and is . On 1 March 2020 he surpassed
Lajos Kossuth
Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva (, hu, udvardi és kossuthfalvi Kossuth Lajos, sk, Ľudovít Košút, anglicised as Louis Kossuth; 19 September 1802 – 20 March 1894) was a Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, poli ...
's record, who was born on 19 September 1802 and who died on 20 March 1894 at the age of 91 years, 6 months and 3 days. Of the five former prime ministers currently alive, the oldest is Péter Boross, consequently.
Dezső Pattantyús-Ábrahám
Dezső Pattantyús-Ábrahám de Dancka (10 July 1875 – 25 July 1973) was a conservative Hungarian politician who served as Prime Minister and temporary Minister of Finance of the second counter-revolutionary government in Szeged for one month ...
, the prime minister of the third Counter-Revolutionary Government during the Hungarian Soviet Republic died on 25 July 1973, at the age of 98 years and 15 days.
Shortest lived
The shortest-lived prime minister was the first ever prime minister, Count
Lajos Batthyány
Count Lajos Batthyány de Németújvár (; hu, gróf németújvári Batthyány Lajos; 10 February 1807 – 6 October 1849) was the first Prime Minister of Hungary. He was born in Pozsony (modern-day Bratislava) on 10 February 1807, and was e ...
, who was born on 10 February 1807 and was executed on 6 October 1849 at the age of 42 years.
Longest lived after office
The prime minister who lived the longest after leaving office was Lajos Kossuth, who left office on 1 May 1849 and died on 20 March 1894, a total of 44 years, 10 months and 19 days.
In recent years, the prime minister who lived the longest after leaving office was András Hegedüs, whose term ended on 24 October 1956; he died on 23 October 1999, 42 years, 11 months and 29 days later.
Shortest lived after office
The prime minister who lived the shortest period after leaving office (excluding those who died in office) was
Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi (; 6 January 1897 – 12 March 1946), the leader of the Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, became the "Leader of the Nation" (''Nemzetvezető'') as head of state and simultaneously prime minister of the Kingdom of Hungary' ...
, whose term ended on 28 March 1945. He was executed on 12 March 1946, less than a year later.
Lajos Batthyány resigned on 2 October 1848. After the defeat of
Hungarian Revolution of 1848
The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 or fully Hungarian Civic Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. Although th ...
he was executed 1 year and 4 days later, on 6 October 1849.
The shortest lived after office premier who died in natural causes was
Kálmán Darányi
Kálmán Darányi de Pusztaszentgyörgy et Tetétlen (22 March 1886 in Budapest – 1 November 1939 in Budapest) was a Hungarian politician who served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 1936 to 1938. He also served as Speaker of the House of Re ...
. He left the office on 14 May 1938 and died on 1 November 1939.
Died in office
Three prime ministers have died in office:
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Gyula Gömbös
Gyula Gömbös de Jákfa (26 December 1886 – 6 October 1936) was a Hungarian military officer and politician who served as Prime Minister of Hungary from 1 October 1932 to his death.
Background
Gömbös was born in Murga, Tolna County, Kingdo ...
, who died on 6 October 1936 (
testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system. Symptoms may include a lump in the testicle, or swelling or pain in the scrotum. Treatment may result in infertility.
Risk factors include an u ...
).
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Pál Teleki
Count Pál János Ede Teleki de Szék (1 November 1879 – 3 April 1941) was a Hungarian politician who served as Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1920 to 1921 and from 1939 to 1941. He was also an expert in geography, a un ...
, who died on 3 April 1941 (
suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Mental disorders (including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, anxiety disorders), physical disorders (such as chronic fatigue syndrome), and s ...
).
*
József Antall
József Tihamér Antall Jr. ( hu, ifjabb Antall József Tihamér, ; 8 April 1932 – 12 December 1993) was a Hungarian teacher, librarian, historian, and statesman who served as the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Hungary, holdin ...
, who died on 12 December 1993 (
tumor
A neoplasm () is a type of abnormal and excessive growth of tissue. The process that occurs to form or produce a neoplasm is called neoplasia. The growth of a neoplasm is uncoordinated with that of the normal surrounding tissue, and persists ...
).
Executed prime ministers
Six prime ministers were executed; all of them after leaving office.
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Lajos Batthyány
Count Lajos Batthyány de Németújvár (; hu, gróf németújvári Batthyány Lajos; 10 February 1807 – 6 October 1849) was the first Prime Minister of Hungary. He was born in Pozsony (modern-day Bratislava) on 10 February 1807, and was e ...
, executed on 6 October 1849.
*
László Bárdossy
László Bárdossy de Bárdos (10 December 1890 – 10 January 1946) was a Hungary, Hungarian diplomat and politician who served as Prime Minister of Hungary from April 1941 to March 1942. He was one of the chief architects of Hungary's involve ...
, executed on 10 January 1946.
*
Béla Imrédy
Béla vitéz Imrédy de Ómoravicza ( hu, Vitéz ómoraviczai Imrédy Béla; 29 December 1891 in Budapest – 28 February 1946 in Budapest) was Prime Minister of Hungary from 1938 to 1939.
Born in Budapest to a Catholic family, Imrédy studied ...
, executed on 28 February 1946.
*
Ferenc Szálasi
Ferenc Szálasi (; 6 January 1897 – 12 March 1946), the leader of the Arrow Cross Party – Hungarist Movement, became the "Leader of the Nation" (''Nemzetvezető'') as head of state and simultaneously prime minister of the Kingdom of Hungary' ...
, executed on 12 March 1946.
*
Döme Sztójay
Döme Sztójay ( sr-cyr, Димитрије Стојаковић, 5 January 1883 – 22 August 1946) was a Hungarian soldier and diplomat of Serb origin, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary in 1944, during World War II.
Biography
Born i ...
, executed on 22 August 1946.
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Imre Nagy
Imre Nagy (; 7 June 1896 – 16 June 1958) was a Hungarian communist politician who served as Chairman of the Council of Ministers (''de facto'' Prime Minister) of the Hungarian People's Republic from 1953 to 1955. In 1956 Nagy became leader ...
, executed on 16 June 1958.
Assassinated prime ministers
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István Tisza
Count István Imre Lajos Pál Tisza de Borosjenő et Szeged (archaically anglicized Stephen Emery Louis Paul Tisza, in short Stephen Tisza; 22 April 1861 – 31 October 1918) was a Hungarian politician, prime minister, political scientist, inte ...
is the only prime minister in this category. He was assassinated after leaving office.
See also
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List of prime ministers of Hungary by tenure
This list of prime ministers of Hungary lists each Prime Minister in order of term length. This is based on the difference between dates; if counted by number of calendar days all the figures would be one greater.
Viktor Orbán, Kálmán Tisza ...
{{HungarianPrimeMinisters
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