Mátyás Szűrös facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mátyás Szűrös
Szűrös in 2001
Acting President of Hungary
In office 23 October 1989 – 2 May 1990
Prime Minister	Miklós Németh
Preceded by	Brunó Ferenc Straub (as Chairman of the Presidential Council of Hungary)
Succeeded by	Árpád Göncz
Speaker of the National Assembly
In office 10 March 1989 – 23 October 1989
Preceded by	István Stadinger
Succeeded by	István Fodor (acting) Árpád Göncz
Personal details
Born	(1933-09-11) 11 September 1933 (age 91) Püspökladány, Hungary
Political party	MSZMP (?–1989) MSZP (1989–2002) New Left Party (2002–2003) SZDP (2003–2013)
Spouse	Andrea Takács
Children	3

Mátyás Szűrös (born September 11, 1933) is a Hungarian politician. He served as the temporary president of Hungary from October 23, 1989, to May 2, 1990. His time as president was during a big change in Hungary. The country was moving from a Communist government to a democratic one.

Mátyás Szűrös: His Life and Role in Hungary's Change

Mátyás Szűrös was an important figure in Hungarian politics. He helped guide the country during a major shift. This period saw Hungary become a democratic nation.

Becoming a Leader in Parliament

Before becoming president, Szűrös was the Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary. This is like being the leader of the country's main law-making body. He held this position from March 1989 to May 1990.

Hungary's Big Change to Democracy

In the autumn of 1989, Hungary was going through a huge transformation. Leaders from the Communist party and other political groups worked together. They wanted to create a system where many different parties could exist.

As part of this agreement, Hungary's 1949 Constitution was almost completely rewritten. This was done to remove all parts that were related to Communism. The "Presidential Council," which was the country's old Communist-era leadership group, was ended.

Provisional President of Hungary

Because of these changes, Mátyás Szűrös became the temporary president. He held this role until a new president could be properly elected.

Soon after he took office on October 23, 1989, he made a very important announcement. He officially declared that Hungary was no longer the "People's Republic." Instead, it was now simply the "Republic of Hungary." This was a big step towards democracy.

His Later Political Career

Mátyás Szűrös continued to be a member of the Hungarian parliament until 2002. He was part of the Hungarian Socialist Party. However, he often voted differently from what his party wanted.

In 2002, he left the Socialist Party. He then joined a new party called the New Left Party. He even ran as their candidate for prime minister in the elections. But his new party did not get many votes.

In 2003, he joined the Social Democratic Party. He was later chosen to be the chairman, or leader, of this party. He stepped down from this position in 2005.

See also

In Spanish: Mátyás Szűrös para niños