Topic: Ferenc Gyurcsany

Ferenc Gyurcsány (Hungarian pronunciation:   ( listen); born in Pápa, 4 June 1961) is a Hungarian politician. He was the sixth Prime Minister of Hungary from 2004 to 2009.

He was nominated to take that position on 25 August 2004 by the Hungarian Socialist Party (the MSZP; in fact not Socialist but Social Democratic), after Péter Medgyessy resigned due to a conflict with the Socialist Party's coalition partner. Gyurcsány was elected Prime Minister on 29 September 2004 in a parliamentary vote (197 yes votes, 12 no votes, with most of the opposition in Parliament not voting). He led his coalition to victory in the parliamentary elections in 2006, securing another term as Prime Minister. He has been in office for the longest period in the history of the 3rd Hungarian Republic. His first rise to power was the result of a coalition conflict. His legitimacy was permanently questioned by opposition parties based on the fact that he withholding crucial information about the actual budget deficit in his 2006 re-election campaign. He is also criticised for using derogatory terms for his own country. Even though he's been trying to relativise this fact ever since.

On 24 February 2007, he was elected as the leader of the MSZP, taking 89% of the vote. On 21 March 2009 Gyurcsány announced his intention to resign as Prime Minister. He stated that he is a hindrance to further economic and social reforms. President László Sólyom stated that instead of a short term transational government ruling only until the 2010 elections, early elections should be held. On 28 March Gyurcsány resigned from his position as party chairman, he was the leader of MSZP between 2007-2009. A minister under Gyurcsány, Gordon Bajnai became the nominee of MSZP for the post of prime minister in March 2009 and he became Prime Minister on April 14.