László Békesi

László Békesi (born 31 May 1942) is a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Finance twice: between 1989-1990 and from 1994 to 1995.

Biography

Early life

He was an athlete when he was ten years old, he was member of the national youth team. He finished high-school studies in Cegléd. He could have got into the university without admission one, because he was honored on the OKTV educational competition. However the Eötvös Loránd University did not admit him. According to the institution Békesi's material conditions were not provided for his learning, because his father died early. However the real reason was that he derived from a religious family. Békesi became a breadwinner, he worked for parish councils of Albertirsa and Dánszentmiklós. Later he was put it on for the Financial and Accountancy College's evening course later. His teacher was Lajos Faluvégi, who later became Minister of Finance and dealt with the economical reform.

From 1967 he worked as a chief accountant for the Council of Pest County in Budapest. He joined to the MSZMP in 1968 and he was appointed head of the financial department and later general deputy chairman of the Council of Pest County. He became economical vice president of the Capital Council of Budapest in 1975 and member of the Committee of Planning Board.

Békesi graduated at the Karl Marx Karl Marx University of Economic Sciences. His speciality is the councils' farming from the collegiate years, later this was supplemented with the public finance and the questions of the fiscal systems.

First ministerial term

His political and vocational career rose in parallel with. He was appointed titular university professor in 1981, during that time also served as economic-political secretary of the party's Committee of Budapest. Until 1985 he was member of the Central Committee's economic panel. In 1984 he was also member of the Hungarian Olympic Committee, which decided about the boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics (Los Angeles) at this time. The committee voted for the boycotting beside three abstentions and one "not" vote. Békesi was one of the three abstentioners. That's why he lost his secretarier position in 1985 and received a party disciplinary action. However István Hetényi supported him and made him to his substitute. László Békesi was the communist regime's last Minister of Finance between 10 May 1989 and 23 May 1990.

References

• Békesi László életrajza az Országgyűlés honlapján (1996. május 6.)
• Előadása a Mindentudás Egyetemén (Mit várhatunk egy modern államtól - és mibe kerül ez nekünk?)