Pál Schmitt

Who is Pál Schmitt?

Pál Schmitt is a Hungarian Olympic fencer and politician who served as President of Hungary from 2010 to 2012.

Schmitt was a successful fencer in his youth, winning two gold medals at the Summer Olympics. Later, he served as an ambassador during the 1990s and was a Vice President of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2010. After briefly serving as Speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary in 2010, Schmitt was elected as President of Hungary in a 263 to 59 vote in the Parliament of Hungary. He was sworn in as President on 6 August 2010. On 2 April, Schmitt announced to the Hungarian Parliament his resignation as President.