Ferenc Mádl
Encyclopedia
Ferenc Mádl was the second President of the third Republic of Hungary
, having served from 4 August 2000 to 5 August 2005.
.
He was awarded an academic degree as candidate of politics and law in 1964, and he received a doctorate in 1974 with his dissertation "The company and economic competition in the law of European economic integration".
In 1987 he was elected a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
, and then in 1993 he was made a full member of the Academy.
In his scientific activities he has primarily dealt with matters of civil law, private international law and legal problems related to international economic relations, as well as European law.
He was secretary of the Scientific Qualifying Committee between 1984–1990, from 1985 he has been a member of the Harvard Academy of International Commercial Law, from 1988 a member of the steering committee of the Rome international institute (UNIDROIT
) for unifying private law, while from 1989 he was appointed as a central judge on the Washington-based international selected court for states and foreign investors. Besides the aforementioned positions he held he also assisted in the editing of several scientific journals and the work of scientific organizations, and was a member of several international academies.
Mádl lectured at numerous foreign universities as guest professor, and is the author of several books and studies.
Central Office, later being promoted to head of department.
From 1971 he taught at the Budapest University of Sciences Department of Civil Law as a docent, before continuing this work as university tutor from 1973.
In the meantime, between 1972 and 1980 he was on the staff of the Hungarian Academy's Institute of Politics and Law, and from 1978 until 1985 he held the post of director of the Institute of Civil Sciences. He was the director of the Faculty of Private International Law of the Budapest University of Sciences from 1985 until his death in May 2011.
He was not affiliated with any party. He undertook a role in political life after the change to democracy in 1989. From 23 May 1990 to 22 February 1993 as minister without portfolio in József Antall
's government he was charged with supervising the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; he assisted in defining government science policy goals as well as closely observing the harmonization of related state tasks and their implementation; on the basis of separate commissions he represented the government and the prime minister in international organizations; he cooperated with the ministers for justice, foreign affairs and international economic relations in the realization of certain tasks.
From 1991 he also fulfilled duties as government commissioner in connection with the Bős-Nagymaros
hydroelectric power plant
project.
At the instigation of the government, in late 1992 an inter-portfolio committee was formed under his chairmanship to research those works of art illegally taken to the former Soviet Union
from Hungary during and after the Second World War, with the aim of winning their return.
He took the post of chairman of the board of directors of the State Property Agency on 1 August 1990, and from 1992 he exercised, on the authority of the government, supervisory powers over the State Bank Supervisory Authority, at the same time being appointed chairman of the Bank Supervisory Authority Committee, a role he filled until February 1993.
He also exercised supervisory control over the Central Office of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the National Scientific Research Fund.
He was appointed chairman of the government's Science Policy Committee in August 1990, and he headed the Human Resources Policy Cabinet between 1992–1993.
Between 22 February 1993 and 15 July 1994 he was minister for culture and education. Between February and July 1994 he filled the post of chairman of the Council for Higher Education and Science. Also in 1994, he was appointed chair of the National Cultural Fund.
He stood as the opposition MDF
-KDNP
-Fidesz
's nominee for President of the Republic in 1995.
He had been chairman of the Hungarian Civil Cooperation Association since 1996.
From 1999 he has been a member of the scientific advisory body for the Viktor Orbán
government.
On 15 March 1999 he was awarded the Széchenyi Prize
for his internationally recognized scientific achievements in the areas of European law, private international law and international commercial law, as well as for his higher educational and scientific organizational efforts.
In September of the same year he was also honoured with the French order of the Légion d'honneur
.
On 3 May 2000 he was nominated by Fidesz and the FKGP for the position of President of the Republic, which he accepted. The National Assembly of Hungary
elected Ferenc Mádl President of the Republic on 6 June 2000. He was inaugurated as President of the Republic of Hungary on 4 August 2000. His duty, by Constitution, extended to 5 years.
His term as President ended in 2005: he did not want to run again for the office.
. The World Justice Project
works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law
for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.
paid tribute to Mádl upon learning of his death. A statement released by his office said, "Pál Schmitt learnt with deep sorrow of the former head of state's death, and on this day personally expressed his condolences to [Mádl's] family." Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
commented on posted on his Facebook
page, "We are shocked to hear the news. May he rest in peace!" On 6 June a memorial was held for the late president at the parliament, where legislative speaker László Kövér
said that Ferenc Mádl was a Christian man, who brought with him his faith from the village where he was raised. He was buried in a Catholic ritual with military honours at the Fiumei Street National Cemetery
on 7 June in a funeral ceremony starting at 4.30pm.
for his commitment to peace, liberty, justice and solidarity in Europe.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, having served from 4 August 2000 to 5 August 2005.
University studies and scientific activities
Mádl was Awarded a diploma from the Faculty of Politics and Law of the Eötvös Loránd University in 1955. Between 1961–1963 he studied at the faculty of international comparative law of the University of StrasbourgUniversity of Strasbourg
The University of Strasbourg in Strasbourg, Alsace, France, is the largest university in France, with about 43,000 students and over 4,000 researchers....
.
He was awarded an academic degree as candidate of politics and law in 1964, and he received a doctorate in 1974 with his dissertation "The company and economic competition in the law of European economic integration".
In 1987 he was elected a corresponding member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences
Hungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
, and then in 1993 he was made a full member of the Academy.
In his scientific activities he has primarily dealt with matters of civil law, private international law and legal problems related to international economic relations, as well as European law.
He was secretary of the Scientific Qualifying Committee between 1984–1990, from 1985 he has been a member of the Harvard Academy of International Commercial Law, from 1988 a member of the steering committee of the Rome international institute (UNIDROIT
UNIDROIT
The International Institute for the Unification of Private Law, also known as UNIDROIT, is an independent intergovernmental Organisation based in Rome, Italy...
) for unifying private law, while from 1989 he was appointed as a central judge on the Washington-based international selected court for states and foreign investors. Besides the aforementioned positions he held he also assisted in the editing of several scientific journals and the work of scientific organizations, and was a member of several international academies.
Mádl lectured at numerous foreign universities as guest professor, and is the author of several books and studies.
Professional career
From 1955 Mádl worked as a legal clerk and then as court secretary, then between 1956 and 1971 he worked as political and legal rapporteur at the Hungarian Academy of SciencesHungarian Academy of Sciences
The Hungarian Academy of Sciences is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest.-History:...
Central Office, later being promoted to head of department.
From 1971 he taught at the Budapest University of Sciences Department of Civil Law as a docent, before continuing this work as university tutor from 1973.
In the meantime, between 1972 and 1980 he was on the staff of the Hungarian Academy's Institute of Politics and Law, and from 1978 until 1985 he held the post of director of the Institute of Civil Sciences. He was the director of the Faculty of Private International Law of the Budapest University of Sciences from 1985 until his death in May 2011.
József Antall
József Antall was the first democratically-elected Prime Minister of Hungary after the fall of Communism , teacher, librarian, historian and political figure...
's government he was charged with supervising the Hungarian Academy of Sciences; he assisted in defining government science policy goals as well as closely observing the harmonization of related state tasks and their implementation; on the basis of separate commissions he represented the government and the prime minister in international organizations; he cooperated with the ministers for justice, foreign affairs and international economic relations in the realization of certain tasks.
From 1991 he also fulfilled duties as government commissioner in connection with the Bős-Nagymaros
Gabcíkovo - Nagymaros Dams
The Gabčíkovo – Nagymaros Dams is a large barrage project on the Danube. It was initiated by the Budapest Treaty of 16 September 1977 between Czechoslovakia and Hungary...
hydroelectric power plant
Hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
project.
At the instigation of the government, in late 1992 an inter-portfolio committee was formed under his chairmanship to research those works of art illegally taken to the former Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
from Hungary during and after the Second World War, with the aim of winning their return.
He took the post of chairman of the board of directors of the State Property Agency on 1 August 1990, and from 1992 he exercised, on the authority of the government, supervisory powers over the State Bank Supervisory Authority, at the same time being appointed chairman of the Bank Supervisory Authority Committee, a role he filled until February 1993.
He also exercised supervisory control over the Central Office of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the National Scientific Research Fund.
He was appointed chairman of the government's Science Policy Committee in August 1990, and he headed the Human Resources Policy Cabinet between 1992–1993.
Between 22 February 1993 and 15 July 1994 he was minister for culture and education. Between February and July 1994 he filled the post of chairman of the Council for Higher Education and Science. Also in 1994, he was appointed chair of the National Cultural Fund.
He stood as the opposition MDF
Hungarian Democratic Forum
The Hungarian Democratic Forum , abbreviated to MDF, was a centre-right political party in Hungary. It had a liberal conservative and Christian democratic ideology...
-KDNP
Christian Democratic People's Party (Hungary)
The Christian Democratic People's Party is a political party in Hungary.- History :The party was founded in 1944 by Hungarian Catholic statesmen, intellectuals, and ecclesiastical such as Bishop Vilmos Apor, Béla Kovrig , László Varga and General József Pálffy, among others...
-Fidesz
Hungarian Civic Union
Hungarian Civic Union may refer to:*Fidesz – Hungarian Civic Union, a centre-right political party in Hungary*Another name for the Hungarian Civic Party, a political party representing the Hungarian minority in Romania...
's nominee for President of the Republic in 1995.
He had been chairman of the Hungarian Civil Cooperation Association since 1996.
From 1999 he has been a member of the scientific advisory body for the Viktor Orbán
Viktor Orbán
Viktor Orbán is a Hungarian populist and conservative politician and current Prime Minister of Hungary...
government.
On 15 March 1999 he was awarded the Széchenyi Prize
István Széchenyi
Széchenyi committed suicide by a shot to his head on April 8, 1860. All Hungary mourned his death. The Academy was in official mourning, along with the most prominent persons of the leading political and cultural associations...
for his internationally recognized scientific achievements in the areas of European law, private international law and international commercial law, as well as for his higher educational and scientific organizational efforts.
In September of the same year he was also honoured with the French order of the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
.
On 3 May 2000 he was nominated by Fidesz and the FKGP for the position of President of the Republic, which he accepted. The National Assembly of Hungary
National Assembly of Hungary
The National Assembly or Diet is the parliament of Hungary. The unicameral body consists of 386 members elected to 4-year terms. Election of members is based on a complex system involving both area and list election; parties must win at least 5% of the popular vote in order to enter list members...
elected Ferenc Mádl President of the Republic on 6 June 2000. He was inaugurated as President of the Republic of Hungary on 4 August 2000. His duty, by Constitution, extended to 5 years.
His term as President ended in 2005: he did not want to run again for the office.
World Justice Project
Ferenc Mádl served as an Honorary Co-Chair for the World Justice ProjectWorld Justice Project
-Mainstreaming:The World Justice Project holds action-oriented meetings with leaders from a range of fields to mainstream rule of law advancement and make strengthening the rule of law as fundamental to the thinking and work of all professionals as it is to lawyers...
. The World Justice Project
World Justice Project
-Mainstreaming:The World Justice Project holds action-oriented meetings with leaders from a range of fields to mainstream rule of law advancement and make strengthening the rule of law as fundamental to the thinking and work of all professionals as it is to lawyers...
works to lead a global, multidisciplinary effort to strengthen the Rule of Law
Rule of law
The rule of law, sometimes called supremacy of law, is a legal maxim that says that governmental decisions should be made by applying known principles or laws with minimal discretion in their application...
for the development of communities of opportunity and equity.
Selected publications
- A deliktuális felelősség a társadalom és a jog fejlődésének történetében (1964)
- Az Európai Gazdasági Közösség joga (1974)
- Összehasonlító nemzetközi magánjog (1978)
- The Law of Transactions (1982)
- A külgazdaság és a nemzetközi beruházások joga (1988)
- State and Economy in Transformation (1997)
- EU Integration Process – Enlargement and Institutional Reforms (1997)
- Magyar nemzetközi magánjog és a nemzetközi gazdasági kapcsolatok joga (with Lajos Vékás, 1985–2004, 8 edition)
- Az európai örökség útjain (1995).
- Állam és gazdaság – Forradalom a jog útján a közép- és kelet-európai országokban (1997)
- Quo vadis, Európa? (2004)
Family
He was married to Dalma Némethy, they had one son and three grandchildren. His second cousin was Antal Mádl literary historian, teacher.Death
Ferenc Mádl died aged 80 on 29 May 2011. Hungarian President Pál SchmittPál Schmitt
Pál Schmitt is the current President of Hungary. He was elected President of Hungary in a 263 to 59 vote in the Parliament of Hungary and was sworn in on 2010....
paid tribute to Mádl upon learning of his death. A statement released by his office said, "Pál Schmitt learnt with deep sorrow of the former head of state's death, and on this day personally expressed his condolences to [Mádl's] family." Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
Viktor Orbán
Viktor Orbán is a Hungarian populist and conservative politician and current Prime Minister of Hungary...
commented on posted on his Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
page, "We are shocked to hear the news. May he rest in peace!" On 6 June a memorial was held for the late president at the parliament, where legislative speaker László Kövér
László Kövér
László Kövér is a Hungarian politician. He was a founding member of Fidesz from 1988, and he served as Minister without portfolio for the Civilian Intelligence Services during the Viktor Orbán administration...
said that Ferenc Mádl was a Christian man, who brought with him his faith from the village where he was raised. He was buried in a Catholic ritual with military honours at the Fiumei Street National Cemetery
Kerepesi Cemetery
Kerepesi Cemetery is the most famous cemetery in Budapest...
on 7 June in a funeral ceremony starting at 4.30pm.
Honors and awards
On 8 November 2002, he was awarded the Gold Medal of the Jean Monnet Foundation for EuropeJean Monnet Foundation for Europe
The Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe is an organisation which supports initiatives dedicated to the construction of European unity. The foundation is inspired by the thinking, methods and actions of Jean Monnet...
for his commitment to peace, liberty, justice and solidarity in Europe.
- Order of the White Eagle (Poland, June 26, 2001)
- Commander Grand Cross with Chain of the Order of Three Stars (Latvia, Oct. 2001)
- Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra MarianaOrder of the Cross of Terra MarianaThe Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana was instituted in 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state. The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is bestowed upon the President of the Republic. Presidents of the Republic who have ceased to hold office shall keep the Order of the Cross of...
(Estonia) - Knight Grand Cross of the Grand Order of King TomislavGrand Order of King TomislavThe Grand Order of King Tomislav , or more fully the Grand Order of King Tomislav with Sash and Great Morning Star , is the highest state order of the Republic of Croatia...
("For outstanding contribution to the promotion of friendship and development co-operation between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Hungary.", 15 March 2002) - Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav
- Knight Grand Cross with Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Italian RepublicOrder of Merit of the Italian RepublicThe Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
(June 17, 2002): On 30 March 2005 received a copy of the key of the city of TiranaTiranaTirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over...
on the occasion of his state visit to Albania.
External links
- His biography at the website of the Office of the President of the Republic of Hungary
- Former Hungarian President Ferenc Madl dies - Xinhuanet Retrieved 2011-05-30.
- Ferenc Madl, Hungarian icon, former President of the Republic passes away at age 80 - Budapest Report Retrieved 2011-05-29.
- Former Hungarian president Mádl dead at 80 - Politics.hu Retrieved 2011-05-29.