János Áder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
János Áder
|
|
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2012
|
|
| 5th President of Hungary | |
| In office 10 May 2012 – 10 May 2022 |
|
| Prime Minister | Viktor Orbán |
| Preceded by | Pál Schmitt |
| Succeeded by | Katalin Novák |
| President of Fidesz | |
| In office 3 July 2002 – 17 May 2003 |
|
| Preceded by | Zoltán Pokorni |
| Succeeded by | Viktor Orbán |
| Speaker of the National Assembly | |
| In office 18 June 1998 – 14 May 2002 |
|
| Preceded by | Zoltán Gál |
| Succeeded by | Katalin Szili |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 2 May 1990 – 13 July 2009 |
|
| Personal details | |
| Born | 9 May 1959 Csorna, Hungary |
| Political party | Fidesz |
| Spouse | Anita Herczegh |
| Children | 4 |
| Residences | 3/a Béla király út, Hegyvidék, Budapest |
| Alma mater | Eötvös Loránd University |
János Áder (born 9 May 1959) is a Hungarian lawyer and politician. He served as the President of Hungary from 2012 to 2022. He is a long-time member of the Fidesz political party.
In 1989, when Hungary was changing from a communist country to a democracy, Áder helped negotiate these changes. He was a member of Hungary's parliament, the National Assembly, from 1990 to 2009. During that time, he was the speaker of the assembly from 1998 to 2002.
In 2009, Áder was elected as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP). He became president after the previous president, Pál Schmitt, resigned. Áder was the first president since Árpád Göncz to be re-elected and serve two full terms. He was succeeded by Katalin Novák, who is also from the Fidesz party.
Contents
Early Life and Career
János Áder was born in the small town of Csorna, Hungary. His father was a shop assistant and his mother was an accountant at a hospital. After finishing his early education, he studied law at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. From 1986 to 1990, he worked as a researcher at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
In the late 1980s, Áder joined Fidesz, which was then a new political party. He used his legal knowledge to help the party. He was part of important talks in 1989 that helped end one-party rule in Hungary.
Áder became a key figure in national politics. He led Fidesz's election campaigns in 1990 and 1994. As a Member of Parliament, he held several important positions. He was the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly for about a year. Then, from 1998 to 2002, he served as the Speaker of the National Assembly. After his party lost the 2002 election, he led the Fidesz members in parliament.
Working in the European Parliament
In 2009, Áder was elected to the European Parliament. He worked on the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety. In 2011, he helped write new laws for Hungary's court system and elections.
Presidency (2012-2022)
First Term as President
On 16 April 2012, Áder was chosen by the Hungarian parliament to be the new president. He was officially elected on 2 May and started his five-year term on 10 May 2012. He was the first president to serve under Hungary's new constitution, which took effect in 2012.
As president, Áder focused on international relations and environmental issues. In July 2012, he met with Israeli President Shimon Peres to discuss scientific cooperation. He also spoke at a memorial for Raoul Wallenberg in Israel, calling The Holocaust a "tragedy of mankind without parallel."
In a speech at the United Nations in 2012, Áder talked about protecting natural resources like farmland, forests, and water. He said these are part of the nation's heritage and must be saved for future generations. He was especially concerned about water pollution.
Áder sometimes disagreed with the government. In December 2012, he sent a proposed election law to the Constitutional Court for review. The court found that part of the law was unfair, so the government had to change it. In March 2013, he signed a controversial amendment to the constitution, stating it was his constitutional duty to do so.
In June 2013, Áder apologized in the Serbian parliament for war crimes committed by Hungarians against Serbs during the Second World War. He said that forgiveness and apology could lead to reconciliation and that future generations should learn about life and justice, not hatred.
Áder continued to focus on the environment. He created an Environmental Sustainability Directorate in the President's Office. He spoke at the 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris, warning that climate change was a direct threat to humanity. He supported the Paris Agreement on climate change, saying it was important for Hungary.
Unlike his predecessor, Áder sometimes acted as a check on the government. He vetoed a law about the management of national parks and another law concerning funds of the Hungarian National Bank.
Second Term as President
.jpg)
There was some discussion about whether Áder would be chosen for a second term. Some reports claimed the Prime Minister, Viktor Orbán, might want a different candidate. However, in December 2016, the Fidesz party officially nominated Áder for re-election. Áder accepted the nomination.
On 13 March 2017, the Hungarian parliament re-elected Áder for a second five-year term. He won with a vote of 131 to 39. His opponent was László Majtényi, a law expert supported by opposition parties.
.jpg)
Soon after his re-election, Áder signed a controversial law about higher education. This law affected foreign universities in Hungary, including the Central European University. The decision led to protests, but Áder said he believed the law followed the constitution.
In March 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hungarian parliament gave the government special powers to handle the crisis. Áder signed the law, stating that the government's powers would be limited in time and scope.
In April 2021, Áder and his wife started a charity foundation to help children who lost their parents during the COVID-19 pandemic. The foundation was named after István Regőczi, a priest who cared for orphans after World War II.
Áder could not run for a third term because of term limits. His presidency ended in May 2022. He was succeeded by Katalin Novák. During his ten years as president, Áder often focused on environmental issues and acted as a check on the government on some occasions, though he supported most of its major policies.
Family and Personal Life
Áder has been married to Anita Herczegh since 1984. She is a judge. They have four children: three daughters named Orsolya, Borbála, and Júlia, and a son named András.
His sister, Annamária, is a high school teacher. Her husband is Gábor Pölöskei, a former soccer player and manager.
Áder's father-in-law, Géza Herczegh, was a judge at the International Court of Justice from 1993 to 2003.
Images for kids
-
Áder and Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev in April 2013
-
Áder and Russian President Vladimir Putin in February 2015
-
Áder with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in September 2021
_01.jpeg)
.jpg)
Honours and awards
Domestic
Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen
Grand Cross with Chain of the Hungarian Order of Merit
_1class_Collar_BAR.svg){kind=small}
Foreign
Two Sicilian Royal Family: Knight Grand Cross of the Two Sicilian Royal Sacred Military Constantinian Order of Saint George, Special Class
Poland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle
Ukraine: Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise, 1st class
See also
In Spanish: János Áder para niños
