Katalin Novák facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katalin Novák
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Novák in 2023
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| 6th President of Hungary | |
| In office 10 May 2022 – 26 February 2024 |
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| Prime Minister | Viktor Orbán |
| Preceded by | János Áder |
| Succeeded by | Tamás Sulyok |
| Minister for Family Affairs | |
| In office 1 October 2020 – 31 December 2021 |
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| Prime Minister | Viktor Orbán |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Position abolished |
| Member of the National Assembly | |
| In office 8 May 2018 – 1 May 2022 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
Katalin Éva Novák
6 September 1977 Szeged, Hungary |
| Political party | Fidesz |
| Spouse | István Veres |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Corvinus University of Budapest (MSc) University of Szeged (JD) |
Katalin Éva Veresné Novák (born September 6, 1977) is a Hungarian politician. She served as the president of Hungary from 2022 to 2024. When she was elected, she was 44 years old. This made her the first woman and the youngest person ever to hold this important position.
Before becoming president, she was a member of the National Assembly (Hungary's parliament) from 2018 to 2022. During this time, she also worked as the Minister for Family Affairs from 2020 to 2021. In early 2024, Novák faced a difficult situation and later resigned from her role. This was due to a decision she made about a pardon.
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Education and Languages
After finishing high school in Szeged in 1996, Novák went to college. She studied economics at the Corvinus University of Budapest. She also studied law at the University of Szeged. While she was a student, she spent some time studying in Paris, France.
Besides her native Hungarian, Novák is very good at languages. She speaks French, English, German, and Spanish.
Political Journey
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Novák started her career working for the Hungarian government in 2001. She worked in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Her job was to focus on matters related to the European Union. In 2010, she became an advisor to a minister. Then, in 2012, she became the Head of Cabinet for the Ministry of Human Resources.
In 2014, she took on a new role. She became the State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs. This meant she helped lead government efforts for families and young people. She later became the Minister of Family Affairs in October 2020. She held this position until December 2021.
Novák was also a Vice President of the Fidesz political party. She held this role from 2017 to 2021. On December 21, 2021, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced that Novák would be the party's choice for president. On March 10, 2022, she won the election. She received 137 out of 188 votes in the National Assembly.
Time as President (2022-2024)
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As president, Katalin Novák made several important decisions. In April 2023, the National Assembly passed a new law. This law would have allowed people to report certain families to the authorities. However, President Novák used her power to stop the law. She believed this law was not right.
She also spoke about international conflicts. In May 2022, she expressed her disapproval of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. In 2023, she spoke about the conflict in Gaza. She condemned an attack on Israel. She also supported Israel's right to protect itself. On November 5, 2023, Novák visited Israel to show her support.
Pardon and Resignation
In April 2023, President Novák issued several pardons. A pardon is when a person is officially forgiven for a crime. One of these pardons caused a lot of discussion. It was for a person who had been involved in a difficult situation at an orphanage. When this pardon became public in February 2024, many people in Hungary were upset. This event became known as the "pardon affair."
Protests took place in Budapest. People asked for Novák to resign. On February 9, Novák returned to Budapest from a trip. The next day, February 10, she announced her resignation. She also apologized to those affected by the pardon.
Another politician, Judit Varga, also resigned from her political roles. She had signed the pardon when she was Minister of Justice. In response to the situation, Prime Minister Orbán said he would propose a new rule. This rule would prevent people convicted of certain crimes from receiving pardons.
The National Assembly officially accepted Novák's resignation on February 26, 2024. She was the second Hungarian head of state to resign since the country became a democracy.
Personal Life
Katalin Novák is married and has three children. Her husband is István Veres. He is an economist and works at the Hungarian National Bank. Novák is a Christian and belongs to the Reformed Church.
Novák has strong beliefs about family values. She supported a change to the constitution in 2020. This change made it harder for certain couples to adopt children. She has stated that "the mother is a woman, the father is a man." She also believes that women should not always feel they have to compete with men.
Awards and Honors
Katalin Novák has received several awards and honors during her career.
From Hungary
Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen (2022)
Grand Cross with Chain of the Hungarian Order of Merit (2022)
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From Other Countries
France: Knight of the National Order of the Legion of Honour (2019)
Poland: Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland (2019)
Portugal: Grand Collar of the Order of Prince Henry (2023)
See also
In Spanish: Katalin Novák para niños
