István Horváth (1 September 1935,

Paks Paks is a small town in Tolna (county), Tolna county, in the south of Hungary, on the right bank of the Danube River, 100 km south of Budapest. Paks as a former agricultural settlement is now the home of the only Hungarian Paks Nuclear Pow ...

) is a former Hungarian

communist Communism () is a sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology within the socialist movement, whose goal is the creation of a communist society, a socioeconomic order centered on common ownership of the means of production, di ...

politician, who served as

Interior Minister An interior minister (sometimes called a minister of internal affairs or minister of home affairs) is a Cabinet (government), cabinet official position that is responsible for internal affairs, such as public security, civil registration and iden ...

twice: between 1980–1985 and between 1987 and 1990. Horvath studied law at ELTE. He joined the

MSZMP The Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (, , MSZMP) was the ruling Marxist–Leninist party of the Hungarian People's Republic between 1956 and 1989. It was organised from elements of the Hungarian Working People's Party during the Hungarian R ...

in 1956. He was the first secretary of KISZ (1970–1973), first secretary of the MSZMP Party Committee in

Bács-Kiskun County Bács-Kiskun (, ) is a county (''vármegye'' in Hungarian) located in southern Hungary. It was created by the merger of the pre-World War II Bács-Bodrog and the southern parts of Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun counties. With an area of 8,445 km2, ...

(1973–1980), member of the Central Committee (1970–1989), secretary of the latter (1985–1987). Member of the Hungarian Parliament (1971–1975) and of the Presidential Council (1971–1975). He was first interior minister between 1980–1985. He tried some careful reforms. On the other hand, he participated in the creation of CC-decisions concerning the opposition, and in his time was Carlos in Hungary, although Horváth opposed Carlos's visit in Hungary. Horváth's second period as interior minister (1987–1990) has no special characteristic. He submitted his resignation when it became clear that the secret police kept the opposition under surveillance even in the last days of the Kádár regime.

References

* G. Tabajdi, K. Ungvári: ''Elhallgatott múlt'', Corvina, Budapest, 2008, pp. 100–101. 1935 births Living people People from Paks Members of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party Ministers of the interior of Hungary {{Hungary-politician-stub