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Bernadett SzelHungarian economist and politician
Date of Birth: 09.03.1977
Country:  Hungary |
Content:
- Education and Early Career
- Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Beyond
- Political Journey
- Member of Parliament
- Prime Ministerial Candidacy and Beyond
Education and Early Career
Born in Pécs, Hungary on March 9, 1977, Bernadett Szél graduated from the Miklós Zrínyi High School in Zalaegerszeg. She pursued international relations at Corvinus University, where she later earned a PhD in 2011.
After graduating in 2000, Szél worked as a corporate affairs manager at Phillip Morris from 2000 to 2002. She then transitioned to the public sector as the head of programs for the human rights organization Asylum - Association for Assisting Migrants from March to July 2002.
Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Beyond
From September 2002 to 2005, Szél was a research fellow at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. She also worked at the Hungarian Central Statistical Office and was an EU rapporteur from 2006 onwards. Her research interests include family sociology, family policy, and public capacity-building.
Political Journey
Szél began her political career as a member of the left-wing Humanist Party. In 2010, she joined the newly formed green party Politics Can Be Different (LMP). She was a candidate in the 2010 Hungarian parliamentary elections and ran for mayor of Budakeszi in the local elections, receiving 10.89% of the votes.
Member of Parliament
In 2012, Szél became a Member of Parliament, replacing her colleague Virág Kaufer. She was elected to the Committee on Employment and Labor and later to the Committee on Youth, Social, Family and Housing Affairs and as vice-chair of the Committee on Sustainable Development.
In September 2013, Szél became co-chair of LMP alongside András Schiffer. She was re-elected to Parliament on LMP's nationwide list in 2014 and became a member of the Committee on National Security. In 2017, she was elected as the leader of LMP's parliamentary group.
Prime Ministerial Candidacy and Beyond
In September 2017, Szél was nominated as LMP's candidate for Prime Minister in the 2018 parliamentary elections. She was elected in a Pest district, defeating all other candidates.
Szél remains a vocal advocate for environmental protection, social justice, and democratic values. She is fluent in English and German and currently resides in Budakeszi with her husband and two daughters.
