Mátyás Szűrös

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

Mátyás Szűrös
File:Szuros matyas.jpg
Provisional President of the Republic of Hungary
In office October 23, 1989 – May 2, 1990
Preceded by	Brunó Ferenc Straub Chairman of the Presidential Council
Succeeded by	Árpád Göncz
Personal details
Born	(1933-09-11) September 11, 1933 Püspökladány, Hungary
Nationality	Hungarian
Political party	MSZMP (?-1989) MSZP (1989-2002) New Left Party (2002-2003) SZDP (2003-present)
Spouse(s)	Andrea Takács
Children	3

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

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 was dissolved, and under the Constitution Szűrös became provisional president until the election. Soon after taking office on October 23, he made the official proclamation that Hungary had removed the "People's" from its official name and was now simply 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 votes. In 2003, he joined the Social Democratic Party and was later elected as the chairman of the party. He resigned his position in 2005.

References

Political offices
Preceded by István Stadinger	Speaker of the National Assembly 1989–1990	Succeeded by István Fodor
Preceded by Brunó Ferenc Straub Chairman of the Presidential Council	President of Hungary 1989–1990	Succeeded by Árpád Göncz