Viktor Orbán biography

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán was born on May 31, 1963 in Székesfehérvár. He spent his childhood in Alcsútdoboz, Vértesacsa and Felcsút. In 1977, his family moved to Székesfehervár where he attended the Blanka Teleki High School, from which he graduated in 1981. During 1981-82, Orbán did his compulsory military service in Zalaegerszeg. Since early childhood, one of his favorite past times has been playing soccer and he has been a member of several different clubs. In 1987, Orbán received his diploma from the ELTE University of Law. From 1987-89, he lived in Szolnok but commuted to Budapest, where he worked as a sociologist at the Agriculture and Food Industry's Director Training Institute from November 1987 - March 1988. From April 1988, he was a research fellow at the Central European Research Group sponsored by the Soros Foundation. In 1989, he received a scholarship through the same foundation to study at Pembroke College, Oxford about the history of English liberal political philosophy. In 1983, Viktor Orbán was one of the founding members of the Juridical Sociological Collegium (which was renamed István Bibó Collegium in 1988). With several members of this collegium, Orbán helped establish a journal of sociology entitled "Századvég" and was one of the editors. On March 30, 1988, he was one of the founders of Federation of Young Democrats - Fidesz and from March 1988 - October 1989, he acted as spokesperson. In October 1988, at the first Fidesz Congress, he was elected member of the Fidesz national presidency, a function which he held until October 1989. On June 16, 1989, Orbán gave a speech at Hero's Square on the occasion of the reburial of Imre Nagy, which brought him wide political acclaim. He demanded free elections and the withdrawl of Soviet troops from Hungary. In summer of 1989, he took part in the negotiations at the Opposition Roundtable discussions. Since 1990, Orbán has been a member of Parliament. From May 1990-May 1993, he was the Fidesz fraction leader. In May 1993, he was elected President of Fidesz, and later re-elected in 1994 and 1995. In 1995, Fidesz modified its name to Fidesz - Hungarian Civic Party. Under the direction of Orbán, Fidesz was transformed from a radical student movement into a moderate liberal party. In September 1992, he was voted Vice-President of the Liberal International (LI) and in January of 1993, he was voted a member of the LI's executive board.

After the elections in 1994, he became the chairman of the Parliamentary EU Integration Committee and was vice-president of the law harmonization sub-committee. In 1996, Orbán was elected president of the national committee of the New Atlantic Initiative. In 1998, Vikor Orbán became Prime Minister in the Fidesz-MPP-FKGP-MDF coalition government. Prime Minister Orbán is married with four children. His wife is a lawyer. .