Katalin Éva Novák, born on September 6, 1977, in Szeged, is a Hungarian politician, lawyer, and economist. She served as the President of Hungary from her election in 2022 until her resignation in 2024. Before her presidency, she held the position of State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs from 2014 to 2020 during the third and fourth Orbán administrations. Subsequently, she became a Minister without Portfolio for Families in 2020–21. She also served as Vice President of Fidesz from 2017 to 2021 and as a member of parliament from 2018 to 2022.
Katalin Éva Novák Biography
| Name | Novák Katalin Éva |
| Birth | September 6, 1977 |
| Birthplace | Szeged, Hungary |
| Father | N/A |
| Mother | N/A |
| Age | 46 years old (as of 2023) |
| Husband | István Attila Veres |
| Kids | Three, Ádám (2004), Tamás (2006) and Kata (2008) |
| Office/Title | President of the Third Hungarian Republic |
| Citizenship | Hungarian |
| Education | – University of Paris Nanterre |
| – Ságvári Endre High School (–1996) | |
| – Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration (1996–2001, MSc, Economics) | |
| – University of Szeged (1999–2004, Doctor of Law, Jurisprudence) |
According to the 2023 Power List, Novák was ranked as the 10th most influential person in Hungary. The Forbes list of 2021 placed her at the top of the public affairs category among women. In 2022, she became the presidential candidate for the Fidesz–KDNP Alliance. Following her nomination, she suspended her party membership by constitutional provisions.
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On May 10, 2022, she was elected as the 6th President of the Republic of Hungary by the National Assembly, becoming the youngest person to hold office at the age of 44 and the first woman in this position. (However, two Hungarian queens preceded her as female heads of state.) It was at her initiative that the name of the “Office of the President” was changed to the “Sándor Palace,” a change later reinforced by legislative amendments.
On February 10, 2024, Novák announced her resignation from the presidency due to the consequences of the pedophile scandal in Bicske.
| Age | 46 Years Old |
| Height | 5’6 Feet |
| Weight | 63 Kg |
| Measurement | Not Known |
| Eye Colour | Not Known |
| Hair Colour | Not Known |
Education
Domestic
Novák graduated from the Ságvári Endre Practicing Gymnasium of the University of Szeged in 1996. From 1996 to 2001, she studied at the Budapest University of Economic Sciences and Public Administration, where she obtained a degree in economics.
Between 1999 and 2004, she participated in programs at the Faculty of Law and Political Sciences of the University of Szeged and the University of Paris-Nanterre, focusing on community and French law.
Abroad
During her high school years, she briefly attended Arcadia Junior High School in Los Angeles in 1992, and in 1995, she studied in Paris as a scholarship recipient of the Pont Neuf Foundation. As a university student, from 1999 to 2000, she participated in French-Hungarian European Union studies organized by Sciences Po in Paris, and until 2001, she studied International Relations at the Paris Institute of Political Studies with a scholarship from the Institute of Political Studies in Paris.
From 2002 to 2003, she participated in European Union studies organized by the French National School of Administration (ENA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris and Budapest.
Professional Experience
Katalin Novák’s career path was defined by her roles as a parliamentary representative for Fidesz and her contributions to various ministries within the Orbán administrations. She held positions as a public servant and a political figure throughout her journey.
From 2001 to 2003, Novák worked as a desk officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following the birth of her children, she transitioned to the role of ministerial advisor in the cabinet of Minister of Foreign Affairs János Martonyi in 2010. She then served as the chief of staff to Minister Zoltán Balog at the Ministry of Human Resources from 2012 to 2014. Concurrently, she held the position of Ministerial Commissioner for Francophone Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2013 to 2014.
Between 2014 and 2020, Novák assumed the role of State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs at the Ministry of Human Capacities. Additionally, she served as Vice President of Fidesz from 2017 to 2021. In the 2018 parliamentary elections, she secured a seat in the National Assembly as the 4th candidate on the Fidesz–KDNP national list and took on the presidency of the Hungarian-French Friendship Group.
In the autumn of 2020, Novák was appointed Minister without Portfolio for Families in the fourth Orbán government. In December 2021, Viktor Orbán nominated her as the successor to János Áder as President of Hungary. Subsequently, Novák resigned from her ministerial position. On March 10, 2022, the National Assembly elected her as the President of Hungary.
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Public Engagements
In addition to her political roles, Katalin Novák has been actively involved in organizations focusing on Francophone affairs, as well as the issues concerning families and women. From 2013 to 2014, she served as the Vice President of the Ambassadorial Group of Friends of La Francophonie. In 2015, she became the Vice President of the “Political Network for Values,” a council dedicated to advocating for certain political and social principles.
During the same year, Novák became a founding member of the German-Hungarian Youth Association, later assuming the role of council member in 2016. In 2016, she joined the advisory board of the Francophone University Center at the University of Szeged. Furthermore, in 2017, she took on the responsibility of being the chief editor for the publication “Family-Friendly Turn 2010–2018.”
In 2018, Novák founded and became the president of the “Women for Hungary Club” and initiated the “Women for the Hungarian Nation Movement.” By 2019, she had been appointed as the Vice President of the International Women’s Democrat Union and assumed the presidency of the Political Network for Values. In 2020, she became the co-chair of the Strategic and Family Affairs Cabinet.
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Criticism Regarding Personality and Presidency
Critics argue that as a party politician, Novák, similar to her predecessor János Áder, cannot represent the unity of the nation as the President. On numerous occasions, she made her party affiliation clear. In 2020, even as a Minister without Portfolio for Families, her video titled “How Can a Woman Be Successful?” was interpreted by 444. hu as essentially taking a stance against women’s emancipation. Novák claimed that her views were “deliberately misinterpreted.” Additionally, she defended what some consider discriminatory adoption restrictions against homosexual individuals.
During the first eight months of her presidency, Novák granted clemency at a record rate, approving 5.67% of requests, a level not seen in 25 years. Furthermore, she granted seven pardons to defendants not yet convicted. Critics argue that political bias influenced the decisions concerning these seven individuals, who were lower-level defendants in the Hunnia case of alleged terrorism (excluding György Budaházy at the time).
However, Novák later granted clemency to Budaházy, who had been sentenced to six years in prison. This decision was justified by the visit of Pope Francis to Hungary in April 2023, stating, “The week of the papal visit is a special occasion for the President to exercise her clemency powers. Therefore, the President has decided to grant clemency on this occasion widely.” This action drew considerable criticism, particularly as it was seen as a gesture to the far-right, with some calling the reference to the papal visit regarding clemency for convicted terrorists akin to blasphemy.
This was not the only controversial clemency granted. In 2024, it was revealed that in April of the previous year, Novák granted clemency to the deputy director of the Bicske children’s home, who had covered up the actions of the institution’s pedophilic director and attempted to coerce false testimony from an abused child. This incident sparked significant social outrage, with numerous political and public figures sharply criticizing Novák’s decision. As a result, Katalin Novák announced her resignation from the presidency on February 10, 2024.
Novák also granted clemency to a janitor working at a court who had been sentenced to one year and ten months in prison for improperly accessing judges’ letters and documents, a move deemed capable of “seriously undermining public trust in the judiciary” according to the court’s rationale. They also emphasized that individuals turning to the courts have the right to expect that unauthorized individuals should not be allowed to access their data for any reason.
Language Proficiency
Novák has advanced proficiency in French, English, and German, having obtained a “C” level professional language certificate in each language. She also possesses intermediate proficiency in Spanish.
Family and Personal Life
Her husband, István Veres (*1974), has been the Director of Money and Foreign Exchange Markets at the National Bank of Hungary since 2013. They have three children: Ádám (born 2004), Tamás (born 2006), and Kata (born 2008).
| Award/Acknowledgement | Year |
|---|---|
| Commemorative Plaque from the French National Assembly | 2014 |
| “Luchador por la Familia” (Fighter for Families) Award, Catalonia | 2016 |
| “Familia et Veritas” (Family and Truth) Award, Georgia | 2016 |
| Commemorative Medal from the French National Assembly | 2017 |
| Akócsi Ágnes Award, Hungarian Nursery Association | 2017 |
| NOE Award, National Association of Large Families | 2018 |
| Pro Familie Hungariae Award, Hungarian Association for Family and Women’s Protection | 2018 |
| Forbes named her the most influential Hungarian woman in public life | 2018 |
| Forbes named her the most influential Hungarian woman in public life | 2019 |
| Forbes named her the most influential Hungarian woman in public life | 2020 |
| Forbes named her the most influential Hungarian woman in public life | 2021 |
| Angelus Familiarum Award from the Three Princes, Three Princesses Movement | 2019 |
| Knight’s Cross of the French Legion of Honour | 2019 |
| Popovics Award, Hungarian National Bank | 2019 |
| Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland | 2020 |
| Hungarian Order of Saint Stephen | 2022 |
| Hungarian Order of Merit, Grand Cross with Chain and Gold Radiant Star | 202 |
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