Gordon Bajnai
György Gordon Bajnai | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 7th Prime Minister of Republic of Hungary | |
| Assumed office 14 April 2009 | |
| President | László Sólyom |
| Preceded by | Ferenc Gyurcsány |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 5 March 1968 Szeged, Hungary |
| Political party | Independent |
| Alma mater | Budapest University of Economic Sciences (now Corvinus University of Budapest) |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur |
György Gordon Bajnai (IPA: [ˈgordon ˈbɒjnɒi] born 5 March 1968, Szeged) is the current Prime Minister of Hungary. In March 2009, following Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány's announced resignation, Bajnai was nominated by the ruling MSZP party to become Hungary's next prime minister.[1] Bajnai became prime minister when the parliament passed a constructive motion of no-confidence against Ferenc Gyurcsány on 14 April 2009.[2]
Studies and student politics
Bajnai was raised in Baja, Hungary. He graduated from the Budapest University of Economic Sciences (now Corvinus University) International Relations Department in 1991 .
As József Debreczeni wrote in his book The new Prime Minister, Ferenc Gyurcsány remembered Bajnai from common football matches, having long evening discussions and drinking beer in the late 1980s. Bajnai was not a KISZ leader, like Gyurcsány (who was Vice-President of the communist youth organization in 1989) but he was active in youth-politics. In 1987, Bajnai organized a boycott of the University of Economics' canteen, and was chairman of the Independent Student Division.[3]
Entrepreneurial career
After earning his master's degree, Bajnai took a job at Creditum Financial Consulting Ltd (at the same time Ferenc Gyurcsány worked there as well). In 1993, he undertook an internship at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London. Later he also worked for Eurocorp International Finance Ltd (again under the directorship of Ferenc Gyurcsány).
Between 1995 and 2000, Bajnai was the managing director of CA IB Securities Co., and was the Deputy Chief Executive Officer (at the same time when András Simor, now head of National Bank of Hungary, was the head of the company). Bajnai was involved in the management of introducing several major companies to the stock exchange.
Between 2000 and 2005, he was CEO of Wallis Rt. a company closely associated with the Hungarian Socialist Party. His actions and decisions in this position are still subject to criticism. After the buyout and subsequent liquidation of the poultry processing company Hajdú-Bét Rt. by Wallis Rt. Bajnai was suspected not to have done enough to avoid insolvency. The company that by now has gone bankrupt still owes its suppliers 5.5 billion forint (over 20 million Euro). The insolvency caused great financial and existential hardships for many family businesses who supplied Hajdú-Bét with poultry. In the course of the bust nine farmers committed suicide. The involvement of Cypriot off-shore companies in Hajdú-Bét's buyout and liquidation by Wallis is also subject to criticism. However, Bajnai has not been legally prosecuted and emphasizes that there have been no legal transgressions. During the same period he was a member of Board of Directors at Graboplast (2001 and 2005) and Raba (2003 and 2005 of), two companies from Győr.
In 2003, the National Association of Managers selected Bajnai as the "Young Manager of the Year". In the same year, as the head of Wallis, he concluded the liquidation of a company called Hajdú-Bet, during which a great number of suppliers breeding geese suffered great losses. For several years Bajnai was strongly criticized for this.[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
In 2005, he was the President of the Budapest Airport Inc., and member of the Supervisory Committee at Zwack Inc. He was member of the Corvinus University of Budapest Economic Council.
Political career
Bajnai first received a government post in 2006. On July 1, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány's called on him to be the head of the National Development Agency.
He replaced Mónika Lamperth in the local government ministerial post in 2007. After SZDSZ left the coalition government, he took over leadership of the newly-formed National Economic Development Ministry.
Prime Minister
In March 2009, Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsány announced he would hand over his position to a politician with a higher support of the parties of the Hungarian parliament. The Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ) opposed most candidates for the post proposed by the Hungarian Socialists, but on 30 March 2009, Gordon Bajnai managed to get the backing of both parties. A constructive motion of no-confidence against Ferenc Gyurcsány took place on 14 April. Bajnai became prime minister. His predecessor's support hit an all-time low in March 2009. Public support for Bajnai to be the best prime minister from a lot nominees was just 8% on eve of his appointment as nominee for Prime Minister.[11] This low figure stayed constant after two months in office.[12]
The Hungarian Parliament elected Bajnai as Hungary's Prime Minister with 204 votes for, 8 abstentions. The remaining MPs did not vote.
Foreign policy
His first visit to abroad was in Israel, where he met Simon Peres, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Opposition Leader, Tzipi Livni.
The Nabucco pipeline's intergovernmental agreement between Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Austria was signed by five Prime Ministers (including Bajnai) on 13 July 2009 in Ankara.[13]
Of the Hungary-Slovakia relations Bajnai commented, that it is extremely harmful when certain extremist Slovak politicians use the issue of minorities to hide real problems. [14]
The financial crisis
Cabinet of Gordon Bajnai
When Bajnai formed his Cabinet, it was the only one among all the governments of the European Union member states with no women. The last time there were no female government ministers in Hungary was in 1996, when Péter Boross was Prime Minister.
References
- ^ Hungary Picks New Candidate for Premier
- ^ Hungary parties back Bajnai as PM
- ^ Bajnai Gordon: A politika a legösszetettebb hivatás
- ^ Bajnai Gordon visszaszól (Hajdu-Bét ügy
- ^ A képviselők irodaházánál tüntettek a Hajdú-Bét károsultjai
- ^ Bajnai "Hajdú-Bét-es barátaié" az uniós források kommunikációja
- ^ Bajnai Gordon: Hajdu-Bet 1 (Goose-Company)
- ^ Bajnai Gordon: Hajdu-Bet 2 (Goose-Company)
- ^ Bajnai Gordon: Hajdu-Bet 3 (Goose-Company)
- ^ Bajnai Gordon: Hajdu-Bet 4 (Goose-Company)
- ^ Public support for Bajnai just 8% on eve of appointment (31 March 2009)
- ^ Bajnai és Morvai fej-fej mellett
- ^ "Europe gas pipeline deal agreed". BBC News. 2009-07-13. Retrieved 2009-07-13.
- ^ Bajnai: A kisebbségek ügye szent és sérthetetlen
- Bajnai-életrajz
- Gordon Bajnai faces major challenges as prime minister of Hungary / Canadian Hungarian Journal
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