Mátyás Szűrös

The native form of this personal name is Szűrös Mátyás. This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals.

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 Ocober 1989
Preceded by	István Stadinger
Succeeded by	István Fodor (acting) Árpád Göncz
Personal details
Born	(1933-09-11) 11 September 1933 Püspökladány, Hungary
Political party	MSZMP (?–1989) MSZP (1989–2002) New Left Party (2002–2003) SZDP (2003–2013)
Spouse	Andrea Takács
Children	Mátyás Iván Lili Andrea

Mátyás Szűrös (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈmaːcaːʃ ˈsyːrøʃ]; born 11 September 1933) is a Hungarian politician. He served as provisional president of the Republic from 23 October 1989 to 2 May 1990. His presidency occurred during Hungary's transition from Communism to democratic government.

Biography

Szűrös served as Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary from March 1989 to May 1990. In the fall of 1989, as part of an agreement between the Communists and the opposition to establish multiparty democracy, the 1949 Constitution was almost completely rewritten to remove its Communist character. The Presidential Council, the country's Communist-era collective presidency, was dissolved. Under the Constitution, Szűrös became provisional president until the election. Soon after taking office on 23 October he made the official proclamation that Hungary had removed the "People's Republic" from its constitutional name and was now the "Republic of Hungary."

He remained in parliament until 2002 as a member of the Hungarian Socialist Party, often voting against the party consensus. He quit the party, in 2002, joined the newly established New Left Party and ran as their prime minister candidate at the parliamentary elections, but the party only got 0.1% of the popular vote. In 2003, he joined the Social Democratic Party and was later elected chairman of the party. He resigned his position in 2005.