Date and place of birth: 7 May 1964 Sopron, Hungary

Political career

• Since 16 April 2009 Minister of Education and Culture.
• Since 21 March 2009, Member of the National Presidency of MSZP
• Since 16 November 2007 Co-President of the Association for Social Democratic Values Platform of MSZP.
• Since 24 February 2007 until 21 March 2009, Vice-President of the Hungarian Socialist Party.
• From 9 June 2006 to 16 April 2009 Minister of Education and Culture.
• Since 15 February 2005 acting as President of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP); full-time President up until 8 June 2006.
• From May 2003 to 14 February 2005 Minister for Cultural Heritage at Ministry of Cultural Heritage.
• From May 2002 to May 2003 Political Undersecretary of State at Ministry of Education.
• Founder member of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP). Took part in the wording of the Hungarian Social Democratic Charter. The year 2000 Congress of MSZP elected him member ot the party’s National Presidency and in spring 2003 he was elected vice-president of the Hungarian Socialist Party. On 16 October 2004  he was elected President of the Hungarian Socialist Party.
  As head of the Education Cabinet of MSZP he directed work over the chapter on education in the party’s 2002 election programme.
• In spring 2001 was elected MSZP’s candidate for the seat of the constituency Pesterzsébet and Soroksár. On 7 April 2002 he was elected outright in the first round of parliamentary elections.

Academic career

• From 1988-1989, after graduating from university, worked as a scholarship holder then later as an assistant lecturer at the Department of Hungarian History of the Middle and Modern Ages at the Eötvös Lóránd University (ELTE) in Budapest.
• In 1990 took his doctorate and in 1996 his PhD degree.
• Since 1994 worked as a senior university lecturer and from 2001 onwards as an associate professor.
• In 1995 and in 1997 worked and carried out research at the Institute of History of the University of Vienna.
• In 1999 ELTE students voted him "The University Lecturer of the Year".

Awards

2004 –  German, Italian and French Equestrian Orders:

• Grosse Verdienst Kreuz mit Stern und Shulterband, Berlin
• Cavaliere di Gran Croce, Rome
• Ordre des Arts et Des Lettres, Paris

Education

• 1983-1988 studied history and Latin language and literature at the Eötvös Lóránd University at Budapest.
• His primary and secondary school education took place in his home town, Sopron.
• Speaks German and Italian, currently learning English.
• His writings are regularly published in various journals and study collections both in Hungary and abroad.
• Regularly takes part in Hungarian and international conferences. 

Family Status