Minister of the Living Environment (Hungary)

Minister of the Living Environment of Hungary
Minister of the Living Environment of Hungary
Magyarország élő környezetért felelős minisztére
	Incumbent; László Gajdos; since 13 May 2026
	Ministry of the Living Environment
Type	Cabinet minister
Member of	Cabinet; Council; Parliament;
Nominator	Prime Minister of Hungary
Appointer	President of Hungary
Inaugural holder	László Maróthy
Formation	16 December 1987 (as the Minister of Environment and Water Management)

The Minister of the Living Environment (Hungarian: Élő környezetért felelős minisztére, EKFM) is a member of the Hungarian cabinet. The position has undergone various iterations over the years since its creation in 1987 as the Minister of the Environment and Water Management. The current iteration was created in 2026 under the Magyar Government, under which it assumes responibilites similar to that of its predecessors.^[1]

History

The environment and water portfolios have previously existed under various cabinet positions from 1987 to 2010. Between 1990 and 2002, the water functions were under the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Water; environmental responsibilities continued under the Ministry for Environment Protection, then, from October 1990 to 1998, as the Ministry of Environment and Regional Development, and then, from 1998 to 2002, once again as the Ministry of Environment Protection.

In April 1988, the Ministry of Environment and Water was established through a merger of the National Water Bureau and the National Environment and Nature Protection Office. In July 1990, the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Water assumed the responsibility of water affairs, taking it from the Ministry of Environment and Water, which changed its name to the Ministry for Environment Protection and kept that name for several months. It later became known as the Ministry of Environment and Regional Development.^[2] In 1998 the Ministry of Environment Protection was established after another reorganization occurred in the governmental ministries.

In 2002, the responsibility of water affairs was transferred from the Ministry for Transport, Communication and Water to the Ministry of Environment Protection, which again became the Ministry of Environment and Water.^[2] The ministry was abolished again following the 2010 parliamentary election upon the return of Viktor Orbán as Prime Minister, and responsibities were handed over to the Ministry of Agriculture.^[3]

Upon the election of Péter Magyar following the 2026 parliamentary election, it was announced that the position would be reconstituted as its own independent portfolio as the Minister of the Living Environment, carving out part of the mandate of the Ministry of Energy;^[4] Former director of the Nyíregyháza Zoo, László Gajdos, was appointed to the position.^[5]

List of ministers

Minister of the Environment and Water Management (1987-1990)

Hungarian People's Republic (1987–1989)

Parties MSZMP MSZP

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		László Maróthy (1942–)	16 December 1987	23 October 1989	MSZMP	Grósz MSZMP	33 (1985)
(1)		László Maróthy (1942–)	16 December 1987	23 October 1989	MSZP	Németh (MSZMP)→MSZP	33 (1985)

Third Hungarian Republic / Hungary (1989–1990)

Parties MSZP

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
(1)		László Maróthy (1942–)	23 October 1989	21 November 1989	MSZP	Németh MSZP	—
—^[a]		Miklós Varga (1944–)	21 November 1989	23 May 1990	MSZP	Németh MSZP	—

Minister of the Environment and Regional Development (1990-1993)

Third Hungarian Republic / Hungary (1990–1993)

Parties MDF

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Sándor Keresztes (1919–2013)	23 May 1990	22 February 1993	MDF	Antall MDF	34 (1990)
2		János Gyurkó (1952–1996)	23 February 1993	21 December 1993	MSZP	Antall MDF	34 (1990)

Minister of the Environment and Water (1993-1994)

Third Hungarian Republic / Hungary

Parties MDF

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		János Gyurkó (1952–1996)	21 December 1993	15 July 1994	MDF	Boross MDF	34 (1990)

Minister of the Environment and Regional Development (1994-1998)

Third Hungarian Republic / Hungary

Parties MSZP

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1		Ferenc Baja (1955–)	15 July 1994	7 July 1998	MSZP	Horn MSZP	35 (1994)

Minister of the Environment (1998-2002)

Third Hungarian Republic / Hungary

Parties FKgP

No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1	Pál Pepó (1955–)	8 July 1998	19 June 2000	FKgP	Orbán I Fidesz	36 (1998)
2	Ferenc Ligetvári (1941–)	19 June 2000	30 November 2000	FKgP
3	Béla Turi-Kovács (1935–2023)	30 November 2000	27 May 2002	FKgP

Minister of the Environment and Water (2002-2010)

Third Hungarian Republic / Hungary

Parties MSZP SZDSZ Independent

No.	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office		Political party	Cabinet	Assembly (Election)
1	Mária Kóródi (1950–)	27 May 2002	18 May 2003	SZDSZ	Medgyessy Independent	37 (2002)
2	Miklós Persányi (1950–)	18 May 2003	3 October 2004	Independent	Medgyessy Independent	37 (2002)
		4 October 2004	9 June 2006	Independent	Gyurcsány I MSZP	38 (2006)
		9 June 2006	6 May 2007	Independent	Gyurcsány II MSZP
3	Gábor Fodor (1962–)	6 May 2007	30 April 2008	SZDSZ
4	Imre Szabó (1953–)	30 April 2008	16 April 2009	MSZP
4	Imre Szabó (1953–)	16 April 2009	29 May 2010	MSZP	Bajnai Independent