Prof. Dr. Máté SZABÓ
Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, Hungary


 

CURRICULUM VITAE



He was elected by the Hungarian Parliament as the Parliamentary Commissioner for Civil Rights for
six years which position he had hold from 26.09.2007. He continues his role and stands as the general
ombudsman of Hungary. From 1st January 2012, Prof. Szabó is Commissioner for Fundamental Rights.
He received his law degree at the Eötvös Loránd University, Faculty of Law in Budapest in
1980 and got a job as a journalist. From 1984, he worked as a scientific associate in the Political
Science Department of the Eötvös Loránd University's Faculty of Law. From 1990, as an associate
professor. He defended his PhD. on social movements in 1987, and got the ‘Doctor of the Political
Science' title from the Hungarian Academy of Science in 1996.
He is a founding member of the Hungarian Political Science Association and the Hungarian
Humboldt Association; furthermore, he is an active member of the Political Science Committee of
the Hungarian Academy of Science and several international associations related to sociology and
political science.
Since 1980, he has continuously carried out several project researches on various subjects of political
and social sciences.
• Between 1991-2007, he was a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in
Hamburg, Berlin, Bremen, Mainz and Frankfurt an der Oder in Germany.
• He was a visiting fellow of the Netherlands Institute of Advanced Studies, Wassenaar, in
1995.
• In 2000, he was a research fellow at the European University Institute in Florence, Italy.

He is specialized in civil society, social movements and political protest and the theory of law and
politics as well. He published more than 300 scientific contributions in Hungarian, English and
German. He is a regular participant at conferences in political science, law, and political sociology
in Europe and around the world. He teaches political science and European studies. Since he was
elected ombudsman, he is an active member of the International Ombudsman Institution and the
European Network of Ombudsman and board member of the European Ombudsman Institute.

Awarded:
• The ‘Erdei Ferenc Prize' of the Hungarian Sociological Association for young talents in 1988.
• The memorial medal ‘For Hungarian Higher Education' of the Ministry of Education for his
teaching career in 2006.
• The ‘István Bibó-Prize' of the Hungarian Political Science Association in 2007, as an
acknowledgement of his life work.
• The Gold Cross of Merit awarded by the President of Poland in 2012, in recognition of his
merits in strengthening human rights and developing Polish- Hungarian relations in this field.

Born in 1956 (13.06.), Budapest-Hungary. Married, and father of two children.

Publications on foreign languages (2007-)

1) Books
Human Rights and Civil Society in Hungary . Twenty Years for Rights and Freedom (1988-2008). OBH,
Budapest, 2009.

2) Studies in volume
Partizipation und Zivilcourage- die neue Ungarn jenseits des Autoritarismus in: Aron Buzogany-Rolf
Frankenberg (Hrsg.): Osteuropa: Politik, Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft. Nomos, Baden-Baden, 2007.
277-291.

Collective Protests in Central European Post-Communist Countries, in: Pero Mladini-Davorka Vidovic
(eds.): Transitions in Central and Eastern European Countries, CPI, Zagreb, 2007. 93-117.

1968 in Hungary, in: Martin Klimke-Joachim Scharloth (ed.): 1968 in Europe. A History of Protest and
Activism, 1956-1977. Palgrave, New York, 2008. 219-229.

(-Kerényi Szabina): Transnational Influences on Patterns of Mobilisation Within Environmental
Movements in Hungary, in: Brian Doherty-Thimothy Doyle (eds.): Beyond Borders. Environmental
Movements and Transnational Politics.Routledge: New York, 2008. 107-125.

Die Zivilgesellschaft Ungarns in einer vergleichenden Perspektive, in: Anton Sterbling (Hrsg.):
Zivilgesellschaftliche Entwicklungen in Südosteuropa. O. Sagner, München, 2009. 205-239.

Kompromiss als Erbe des Kádárismus: Ungarn 1989-1990, in: Jerzy Macków (Hrsg.): Autoritarismus in
Mittel- und Osteuropa. VS Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2009. 199-215.

The Hungarian Ombudsman Institution (1995-2008), in: Linda C. Reif. (eds.): The International
Ombudsman Yearbook. Martinus Nijhoff Publ. Leiden/Boston, 2009.154-182.

Das Wesen von Ungehorsam und Kritik. Ombudsmann-Institution, die osteuropäische Revolution
der Menschenrechte und eine neue Zivilkultur, in: Bálint Balla-Anton Sterbling (Hrsg.): Europäische
Entwicklungsdynamik. Krämer Verlag.Hamburg, 2009. 87-107.

Milestones in the global and European development of human rights, in: Jernej Rovsek/Liana
Kalcina(eds.): 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 15th
Anniversary of the Human Rights Ombudsman Act in Slovenia. The Human Rights Ombudsman of
Slovenia, Ljubljana, 2009.88-94.

Demonstration Democracy in Hungary, in: Armen Harutyunyan(eds.): Freedom of Expression-Right to
Fair Trial.Almanac, Erevan(Armenia) 2010. 38-55. in Russian: 214–233; in Armenian: 123–146.

Demokratija Demonstraciji v Vengrija, in: Armen Harutyunyan(ed.): Almanah: Szvabodna
Vürazsenyija Mnenyija. Erevan(Armenia) oroszul 2010.214-233. Uo. örményül 123-146.

Gab es eine politische Ethik der Wende- und wäre diese heute noch gültig? In: András Masát(hrsg.):
Ethik und Alltag. Zwischen Wahrheit und Wirklichkeit. Andrássy Univ.Abhandlungen Nr. 23. 2010.
Budapest, 29-57.

Revisionismus, Liberalismus und Populismus: die Oppositionn in Ungarn, in: Detlef Pollack-
Jan Wielghos (hrsg.): Akteure oder Profiteure? Die demokratische Opposition in den
ostmitteleuropäischen Regimeumgbrüchen 1989.WS-Verlag, Wiesbaden, 2010. 63-83.

Zwischen Reform und Revolution. Ungarns Weg aus der Staatssozialismus-wohin? In: Th.
Grossbölting-Raj Kollmorgen u.a.(Hrsg.): Das Ende des Kommunismus. Die Überwindung der
Diktaturen inn Europa und ihre Folgen. Klartext, Essen, 2010.177-195.

The Hungarian Ombudsman Institution, in: S. Rashidova(ed.): World Ombudsmen. Y-M.M. Publ.
Tashkent, 2010. 58-74.

Defizite der Demokratie oder Machtausübung mit Defiziten? Probleme der Kundgebungen und des
Versammlungsrechts in Ungarn, in: Joachim Jesko von Puttkamer-Gabriele Schubert(Hrsg.): Kulturelle
Orientierungen und gesellschaftliche Ordnungsstrukturen in Südosteuropa. Harrassowitz Verlag,
Wiesbaden, 2010. 221-239.

Ungarn hat gewahlt – aber wie? In: Berliner Debatte/Initial 2010/2. 67–73. (– Sziklay Julia): Die
Institution des Ombudsmanns in den deutschssprachigen; LanderHumboldt-Nachrichten, 2010. No.
32. 11–20.

3) Studies in Journals
Legal and Political Environment of NGO's in Hungary , in: : Annales Universitatis Scientarium
Budapestinensis de Rolando Eötvös Nominate . Sectio Iuridica. Vol. XLIX.2008.23-55.o.

Civil and Uncivil Society in Hungary, in: Central European Political Science Review 2008./33.66-87.

A Transnational Civil Society in Europe: from the point of view of the new post-communist EU-
members, in: Central European Political Science Review Vol. 9. No. 34.2008. 61-94.

Urbanisten versus Populisten in Ungarn, in: Berliner Debatte/Initial 2009/3. 67-74.o.

Disobedience and Criticism. in: Jura 2009/2. 175-185.

Unprotected? Who guards the guardians, in: European Ombudsman Newsletter 2009/12. 58-61.o.

Related to the Tradition of the Extreme Right- Down by Law in the Post-Communist Democracy, in:
Annales 2009/253-277.

The Ethos of Ombudsman's Institution, in: Journal für Rechtspolitik 2010/1. 12-21.o.

 

 

null Joint Statement of Commissioner for Fundamental Rights and Deputy Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, Ombudsman for Future Generations on World Environment Day

Dr. Ákos Kozma, the Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary and Dr. Gyula Bándi, Deputy Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, Ombudsman for Future Generations call for joint action in a statement on World Environment Day.

It was exactly fifty years ago that the first UN world conference on the environment entitled “Humans and the Biosphere” was held on 5 June 1972. In that very year, the UN General Assembly declared the start date of the consultation World Environment Day, as proposed by the participants of the conference. The goal is the same today as it was 50 years ago: to raise awareness of the consequences of environmental pressures, degradation, and pollution, and to promote collective reflection and action. Unfortunately, global trends are worrying, and the past 50 years did not result in the expected improvements.

A recent report by the World Meteorological Organisation (known as the WMO) shows that we are not on track to meet our climate protection targets. The report highlights four critical indicators of climate change: atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, sea-level rise, rising ocean temperatures, and ocean acidification. Each of these indicators reached record highs last year. The data are also in line with this year's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report. The use of fossil fuels is proving to be an environmental and economic dead-end for our planet. According to the UN Secretary General, renewable energy sources are the only way to real energy security, stable energy prices, and sustainable employment opportunities. By joining forces and acting together globally, the transition to renewable energy can be "the peace project of the 21st century," the Secretary General emphasizes.

Recent data point out what we already know from WMO and IPCC: our present ultra-consumption way of life is not sustainable. If there is no change in our attitude, we will face increasing occurrence of natural disasters all around the world.

It is also worth paying attention to Earth Overshoot Day. It marks the virtual date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. This date is being set back year by year and it is incompatible with the need to follow the path of sustainability and leave for future generations at least - or close to - the conditions we have been given. The date is not only calculated by the researchers on a global level but also published for each country. In Hungary, we already reached that date on the 30th May 2022, a week earlier than last year and two weeks earlier than two years ago. It proves that our lifestyle is not moving towards sustainability.

We must keep in mind that it's never too late to change, it is possible to turn over a new leaf. Conscious consumption, the transition to a circular economy, and speeding up the switch to renewable energy sources are all part of the solution. Achieving them requires shared responsibility, creative thinking, and a will from all of us. On World Environment Day, the Deputy Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, Ombudsman for Future Generations stresses that effective solutions to global challenges can be found through collective action but all groups and individuals must play their part individually. The Commissioner for Fundamental Rights of Hungary and the Deputy Commissioner for Fundamental Rights, Ombudsman for Future Generations call for policy and economic decisions on sustainability and climate change to be informed by scientific research and by the growing demand from society, particularly from the younger generation, that those responsible today should take into account the needs of future generations.

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