Novak described his election as a "victory for women."
| Author: Yao Zhenyu
| Editor: Xu Ye
| Editor: Su Rui Lingyun
Another woman makes history!
On March 10, Novak Katarin, 45, became Hungary's first female president.
Before the swearing-in ceremony, Novak sat smiling with his family.
Novak (front row center). (Source: Xinhua News Agency)
For many years, Novak has been "grasping both family businesses": he entered the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs at the age of 24, became a full-time housewife at the age of 26, returned to the workplace after giving birth to three children, and became president in only 12 years.
After her victory, the Hungarian female painter Marias presented her with a meaningful painting on social platforms.
In the painting, Novak is surrounded by both Mickey Mouse and big bad wolves, as if to say: The female president will face a complicated situation, and the real challenge has just begun.
Paintings by the Hungarian female painter Marias for Novak.
"Mother of Three" promotion
Novak was born on September 6, 1977 in Szeged, Hungary, to both medical parents. Years later, her brother also became a doctor.
Novak didn't study medicine, but he was excellent. In addition to her native Hungarian, she speaks English, French, German, and simple Spanish.
In college, she met her true son, István Verez, who had been very supportive of her studies and career.
In 2001, Novak entered the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After two years of work, she decided to leave and did not return to politics for the next 6 years.
From 2003 to 2009, Novak "stayed home with children" — she had a first child in 2004, a second in 2006 and a third in 2008, according to Hungary Today.
A family of five in Novak.
Still, Novak hasn't stopped "enriching himself."
She earned her degree in economics from the University of Budapest in 2011 and then a law degree from the University of Szeged and then from the University of Paris X.
In addition to learning, Novak also likes long-distance running and is a marathon enthusiast.
Novak returned to politics in 2010.
Because of her earlier performance in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she attracted the attention of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Janos Marttoni, and was appointed Adviser to the Minister as soon as she returned.
After that, Novak's political career seemed to be hanging. In 2012, she was appointed Cabinet Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources; in 2014, she served as State Secretary for Family and Youth Affairs; in 2018, she became a member of Parliament and in 2020 she became Minister of Family Affairs of Hungary.
She also served as the youth league vice-president from 2017-2021, becoming one of the few women in the Orbán government to hold a senior position.
Novak. (Infographic)
A 2021 survey showed that Novak ranked third among the most popular politicians in Hungary. The first place was Victor Orbán, who has been Prime Minister of Hungary for 12 consecutive years.
In the hungarian public figure most influential women selection, she ranked first twice in 2020 and 2021.
Behind these honors is Novak's efforts for Hungarian women over the years.
"Women's Victory"
In 2018, the United Nations released its annual global gender gap report, and Hungary had the worst level of gender equality in the European region. At the same time, Hungary has long been plagued by population problems, with population growth negative for many years.
While the Hungarian government encourages people to have children, Novak, based on his own experience, believes that the first priority is to give mothers a choice.
She once wrote on her personal website:
"As a 'mother of three,' I know how difficult it is to have to work while dealing with housework and raising a few children, which seem like a normal task."
"My first priority as Minister of Family Affairs is to give mothers the freedom to choose when to return to work, if there is a work-life balance, and to provide real help to young Hungarians and their families."
Novak (front row, second from left) and her three children.
Novak believes that to do all this, the government must provide a corresponding welfare policy.
Under her impetus, the Hungarian government has introduced a series of welfare measures to encourage childbearing and reduce the cost of child support, such as preferential loans for home purchases, home renovation subsidies, and personal income tax reductions.
After years of efforts, Hungary's fertility rate rose from 1.23% in 2011 to 1.56% in 2021, making it the largest increase in the EUROPEAN Union.
Novak is also active in defending women's rights in Hungary.
She both encourages women to have children and supports women to progress in their careers. Because of her tireless efforts, the employment rate of Hungarian women in 2021 ranks second in the European Union.
Hungary has been smeared by politicians in some European countries because of its active anti-epidemic cooperation with China, the first approval of Chinese vaccines within the EU, and its opposition to the EU's so-called "Hong Kong-related statement".
Novak, who has a diplomatic background, certainly can't stand it, and angrily accuses politicians in those countries of "big mistakes." She said bluntly that the media can easily become a weapon for politicians to attack, and Hungary's position has remained unchanged from beginning to end.
Recently, the Hungarian opposition coalition used the Russian-Ukrainian conflict to stir up popular sentiment. Novak took a stand again: Hungarians want peace, women want peace and not war.
"We know the power of words, but we can also be quiet and listen attentively when necessary. In the face of danger, we will also defend our families with courage beyond men. "It's not just because I want to be a good Hungarian president, but also because I'm a woman." ”
Even rivals with Novak, such as opposition coalition leader Markey Zee, could not deny her achievements, citing her partisan background as an excuse that she was "unfit" for the presidency.
But in the end, Novak relied on his reputation and popularity over the years to win 137 of the 188 valid votes in the March 10 parliamentary election, successfully electing the next President of Hungary.
There are challenges ahead
Novak will officially take office on May 10 for a five-year term.
However, Novak, who was successfully elected, was not busy celebrating, and the following April 3 parliamentary election was the main battleground for the ruling and opposition parties. The outcome of the election is also related to Novak's presidency for the next five years.
Novak's central leader of the Youth Democratic League is Victor Orbán, who has served three consecutive terms as Prime Minister of Hungary, and this election will determine whether Orbán will remain in power. His opponent is a pluralistic coalition of six opposition parties.
The divisions between the opposition coalition and the Youth Democratic League have long existed.
During Orbán's tenure, the Hungarian government pursued a foreign policy of "looking east" and friendship with China. Hungary was the first European country to sign a memorandum of understanding on Belt and Road cooperation with China, the first Central and Eastern European country to set up a RMB clearing house, and the first European country to open a bilingual school for Hungarian and Chinese.
In 2021, some opposition parties claimed that once they can win the election, they will tear up the cooperation agreement with China, even if Hungary unilaterally breaches the contract and needs to compensate China, they will not regret it.
For Novak and the ADF behind her, it is imperative to win the parliamentary election in order to preserve the existing political gains.
But the challenges ahead of the ADLD are not small.
Hungarian media said that due to hungary's border with Ukraine, more than 200,000 Ukrainian refugees have come to Hungary.
In addition, affected by the Russian-Ukrainian incident, Hungary's currency forint began to depreciate sharply. Some analysts believe that due to Hungary's proximity to the conflict zone and its high dependence on Russian energy, the forint may continue to fall.
At such moments, the opposition coalition added fuel to the fire, took the opportunity to attack Orban, and encouraged some people dissatisfied with Orban's policies to demonstrate.
The answer to the answer of the Youth Democratic League and the opposition coalition, who will win the final victory, will have to wait for time.
But it is conceivable that no matter which side wins, Novak will have to maintain a balance between the various problems, as in the cartoon that Marias painted, in order to continue to make its own contribution to the development of Hungary.
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