Presidential Council of the Hungarian People's Republic

Presidential Council
Agency overview
Formed	23 August 1949
Dissolved	23 October 1989
Superseding agency	President of Hungary ;
Jurisdiction	Hungarian People's Republic
Headquarters	Budapest

Last updated March 02, 2025

The Presidential Council of the Hungarian People's Republic was the collective head of state of Hungary during the Communist era. It was created in 1949, following the enactment of a new constitution that year that officially created the People's Republic of Hungary. Originally vested with broad powers during the interim of parliamentary sessions, its jurisdiction was limited throughout the moderate liberalization witnessed during the Kadar era. Along with the state itself, it was abolished on 23 October 1989.

List of chairmen of the Presidential Council

Parties' MDP–MSZMP Independent

No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Political Party
1	Árpád Szakasits (1888–1965)	23 August 1949	26 April 1950	MDP
2	Sándor Rónai (1892–1965)	26 April 1950	14 August 1952
3	István Dobi (1898–1968)	14 August 1952	25 October 1956
(3)	István Dobi (1898–1968)	25 October 1956	14 April 1967	MSZMP
4	Pál Losonczi (1919–2005)	14 April 1967	25 June 1987
5	Károly Németh (1922–2008)	25 June 1987	29 June 1988
6	Brunó Ferenc Straub (1914–1996)	29 June 1988	23 October 1989	Independent

List of vice-chairmen of the Presidential Council

Two vice presidents served simultaneously. They were deputy heads of state.

Name	Period
Károly Kiss	1949–1951
István Kovács	1951–1952
József Révai	1953–1958
Károly Kiss	1958–1961
György Marosán	1961–1963
Sándor Gáspár	1963–1988
István Sarlós	1988–1989

Name	Period
Dániel Nagy	1949–1963
Ödön Kisházi	1963–1975
Rezső Trautmann	1975–1989

Presidential Council of the Hungarian People's Republic

Contents

List of chairmen of the Presidential Council

List of vice-chairmen of the Presidential Council

See also