Hungarian Civic Union (FIDESZ)

Pál Schmitt [62] In Fidesz’s election campaign, he was pictured in advertisements as a dignified politician behind a desk emblematically clear of clutter. Former Ambassador of Hungary in Bern and in Madrid, he is expected to be more of a figurehead and communicator than a diligent expert. As a two-time Olympic champion in fencing and president of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, sports issues should get him to cover that oh-so-perfect desk with reports.

Etelka Barsi-Pataky [63]
An engineer by trade, Barsi-Pataky has considerable experience in transport issues on both local and national government levels. She spent 2002-2003 as the Ambassador of Hungary in Vienna, and worked as a consultant in Budapest, with her own consulting company. Her qualifications suggest that she would be well-placed in the Committee on Transport and Tourism.

Csaba Őry [52]
The vice-chairman of the Committee on Employment and Labor Affairs in
the Hungarian Assembly and former Secretary of State at the Ministry of Social and Family Affairs, Ôry is the conservative expert on questions of employment and social affairs. As a member of the Delegation of Observers in the European Parliament, he also took part in the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities.

József Szájer [42] Official leader of the Hungarian delegation in the European People's Party and European Democrats, Szájer has, during his year of observing the EP, established contacts, experience and language skills to wade into the thick of EP politics. He was a non-voting member of the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home, and was deigned successful in that role even by socialist Hungarian observers, which is no small thing.

András Gyürk [32]
One of the fast-rising young politicians of Fidelitas, the youth branch of Fidesz. He is not a minor figure, and was former deputy leader of Fidesz in the Hungarian Parliament. His former membership in the Committee of Foreign Affairs and of the Committee of Youth and Sports in the Hungarian Parliament suggests that he will try to go for the Committee on Foreign Affairs, but he might pull a surprise interest.

István Pálfi [37]
Pálfi is one of the few Hungarian MEPs who will undoubtedly go for a membership in the Committee on Regional Development. He is a manager, educated in International Relations and Human Resource Management, more recently he has specialized in EU Structural Funds, previously working as the chairman of the Human Resources Committee
in the Northeastern Hungary Regional Development Council.

László Surján [62]
Also a Fidesz-member in the Observer’s Delegation to the EP, he is the one that has known the inner workings of European conservative politics the longest through his membership in the Parliament of Europe. Former Minister of Health and Social Affairs, and president of the European World Health Organization commission, Surján is sure to be a candidate for the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.

Kinga Gál [33] An academic, Gál is a specialist in minority legislation in Central Europe, the European Union, the Council of Europe and the United Nations. Her writings focused on bilateral treaties in Central Europe, minority governance. She was vice president of the Government Office of Hungarians Abroad in Budapest. A seat on the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home Affairs seems to be the logical thing.

György Schöpflin [65] A university professor and the a well respected author of publications on nationhood, and even the Balkans, he turned to the EPP-ED and entered political life. He did not have an easy time getting used to the pace of EP work, but his principal area of research being ethnicity, nationhood and political power, expect him to join other Hungarian MEPs with an eye to minority issues, the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

Lívia Járóka [29]
When foreign press covers the MEPs of the new member countries, she is sure to appear. Why? A sociologist and cultural anthropologist who specializes in Roma integration, she is the only Roma of the European Parliament. Accordingly, Járóka sees her job to be the voice of the gypsies in Europe, and to “make politicians see the world from the point of view of the Roma who are marginalized “across the continent.”

Zsolt Becsey [40]
A career diplomat who was the Deputy Head of the Permanent Representation of Hungary in Brussels, he might turn up in the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home. However, he has a degree in economy and might find himself the likely candidate of Hungarian conservatives in one of the committees dealing with economic issues for the lack of economy-oriented MEPs.

Béla Glattfelder [37]
Glattfelder was the youngest member of the first Hungarian Parliament after the transition and has come to hold an important role among agricultural politicians. Fidesz’s only MEP with an agricultural background - he is the chairman of the agricultural cabinet in the parliamentary group of Fidesz – he will probably be the only Hungarian conservative candidate
to the Committee on Agriculture.

Hungarian Democratic Forum (MDF)

Péter Olajos [36] He represents the unexpected elections triumph of Hungarian traditionalist party MDF, of which he is the sole representative of in the European Parliament. He is keen on developing contacts with sister parties to the MDF internationally. One of the most renown EU-integration experts in the party, he also specializes in environmental and regional redevelopment issues, both likely postings for him within the EP committees.

Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)

Katalin Lévai [50]
Former Minister of Equal Opportunities, a post she held until being elected to the EP, Lévai was one of the leaders of the HSP election list, she has the party’s support in continuing her fight for equal opportunities in Brussels and Strasbourg. She is a likely member of the Committee on
Women's Rights and Gender Equality as well as the Committee on Citizens' Freedoms and Rights, Justice and Home.

Edit Herczog [43]
Herzog has led a very varied career: she has studied food preservatives, Russian and Portuguese as well as Business. One of the few Hungarian MEPs who have a business past. She has pursued women’s issues in the HSP, and the Hungarian delegation to the Parliament of Europe. She is the only likely candidate for the Committee on the Environment, Public
Health and Food Safety from the Hungarian socialist delegation.

Magdolna Kósa-Kovács [63] She was one of the most widely known Hungarian observers in the EP, where she was a member of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. She began her career as a secondary school teacher moving on to work with unions before she became the Minister of Labor in 1994. She has been a member of the national presidency of the Hungarian socialist party ever since. She has also shown interest in minority and religious issues.

Alexandra Dobolyi [32]
Dobolyi is the only Hungarian MEP who expressing an interest in the problems of development, globalization and the Third World. She plans on taking an active part in working for equal opportunities between men and women and lower strata of the society. Membership of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality and the Committee for Development or International Trade are likely positions for her.

Gyula Hegyi [53]
An engineer and journalist by trade, Hegyi has taken an active role in Hungarian politics since 1994. He is also a Member of the Council of Europe And a board member of the International League of Religious Socialists, as well as a founder and board member of Amnesty International in Hungary. Due to his wide range of interests [he even writes poetry], he has many options regarding his specialization in the EP.

Szabolcs Fazakas [56]
Fazakas is perhaps the most well versed Hungarian MEP’s in economic
issues and will probably work on committees dealing with these issues. A former Minister of Trade, Industry and Tourism, he also worked in the capacity of representative of OECD countries at Hungary’s Ministry for Foreign Trade, and he headed Daimler Chrysler corporate representative office between 1998 and 2002.

Csaba Tabajdi [52] Leader of the HSP delegation to the EP, he has degrees in economy, international relations and is a candidate for academy membership in philosophy. He specializes in foreign policy, national and ethnic minorities, and has published on issues including identity, and even one entitled “Hungary and subsistence”! He focused on agricultural issues as a member of the delegation of observers, and hopes to join the Committee on Agriculture.

Gábor Harangozó [29]
One of the youngest Hungarian MEPs, Harangozó specializes in regional
development. He worked as an observer in the agricultural and enlargement committees of the European Parliament and was responsible for the national development plan in the agricultural and rural sector. He is expected to take part in the work of the agricultural and regional development committees on behalf of the Hungarian socialists.

Zita Gurmai [39] Also a well known observer in the EP, Gurmai has two fields of expertise: women’s issues and the environment. She has worked at the head of several companies’ communications departments. She is known within the Hungarian Socialist party as an advocate for women in public life, thus her position in the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality is almost certain, but she has also expressed an interest in Transportation.

Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ)

Gábor Demszky [52]
Demszky’s presence in the Hungarian liberals’ delegation is a puzzle to
many. He is the mayor of Budapest, which is already a full-time job, yet his name led the liberal SZDSZ’s election list and to date he has shown no uncertainty in being able to juggle work as an MEP and as a mayor. As
the latter, he has experience in all of the aspects of governance, but speculation is that he will eventually have to resign one of his posts.

István Szent-Iványi [46]
Szent-Iványi is one of SZDSZ’s leading politicians, and is the vice-president of the liberal group in the Council of Europe. His education covers ethnography, ethnography. He was an observer in the Committee on Foreign Policy and liked that, but would also be glad to take a seat in committees dealing with issues more pertinent to Hungarian interests, such as the internal market, economy or regional development.