István Csurka facts for kids

Quick facts for kids István Csurka
Csurka at Bookfests in Budapest, June 2011
Member of the National Assembly
In office 2 May 1990 – 28 June 1994
In office 18 June 1998 – 14 May 2002
Chairman of the Hungarian Justice and Life Party
In office 15 July 1993 – 4 February 2012
Preceded by	New party
Succeeded by	Zoltán Fenyvessy
Personal details
Born	(1934-03-27)27 March 1934 Budapest, Hungary
Died	4 February 2012(2012-02-04) (aged 77) Budapest, Hungary
Political party	MDF (1987–1993) MIÉP (1993–2012)
Children	Endre István Eszter Dóra
Occupation	politician
Profession	writer

István Csurka (born March 27, 1934 – died February 4, 2012) was an important Hungarian politician, writer, and journalist. He was known for his strong nationalistic views, meaning he deeply believed in protecting and promoting Hungary's culture and interests. He founded and led a political party called the Hungarian Justice and Life Party (MIÉP) from 1993 until he passed away. He also served as a Member of Parliament, which means he was elected to help make laws for Hungary, from 1990 to 1994 and again from 1998 to 2002.

About István Csurka

István Csurka was born in Budapest, Hungary, on March 27, 1934. His father, Péter Csurka, was also a journalist. István had a younger brother, László Csurka, who became a famous actor and director.

After the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, István Csurka was held by authorities for about six months. He later said he was pressured to become an informant for the secret police during this time. In the early 1990s, he was one of the first people to openly talk about this part of his past.

Political Career

István Csurka was a founding member of the Hungarian Democratic Forum, a political party. He was part of the first Parliament of Hungary elected after the end of the communist era. Before becoming a politician, he was a well-known novelist and playwright. He often wrote things that were critical of the government at the time.

In October 1994, he became the leader of the Hungarian Justice and Life Party (MIÉP). This party described itself as a radical national-conservative group. This means they had very strong ideas about Hungarian identity and traditions. At its most popular, between 1998 and 2002, the party had the support of about 5% of voters.

Csurka was known for his very strong views about Hungarian nationalism. He believed he represented the interests of about 3 million Hungarians who lived outside Hungary. These people were living in other countries after the Treaty of Trianon, which changed Hungary's borders. He also had strong, sometimes controversial, opinions about other groups.

There were rumors that his party, MIÉP, might work with the center-right party called Young Democrats (Fidesz). However, the leader of Fidesz, Viktor Orbán, always said no to this idea. After the elections in April 2002, MIÉP did not get enough votes (they needed 5%) to enter the Hungarian parliament. This made any talk of a partnership irrelevant.

In late 2011, Csurka was chosen to be the intendant (a kind of artistic director) for the Új Színház ("New Theater") in Budapest. This decision was made by the new director, György Dörner, who was connected to the far-right Jobbik party. They planned to create plays that moved away from what Csurka called "liberal-social-cultural policy." Later, István Tarlós, the mayor of Budapest, asked Dörner to rethink hiring Csurka because of Csurka's strong and controversial statements.

Later Life and Death

István Csurka was hospitalized in January 2012. His last public appearance was at a demonstration in Szeged that supported the government. He said that Hungary was facing big threats. He also emphasized that the country needed to stick to the path set by the government, which had strong support.

István Csurka passed away on February 4, 2012, at the age of 77. He had been ill for a long time.

Personal life

István Csurka was married and had three children. He had two daughters named Eszter and Dóra, and one son named Endre István.