Mayor István Tarlós
I
stván Tarlós was born on May 26, 1948 in Budapest. He graduated from Árpád High School's Humanities Department. He then started to work as an unskilled laborer before he faced conscription and joined the military in Orosháza. Tarlós completed the Technical University in Budapest and received his Civil Engineer Diploma later. He then post-graduated in Finance and Organization from Ybl Miklós Technical College. Tarlós worked for 15 years in the Building Industry mostly in investor and contractor tasks. Among the companies he worked for were Vasútépítő Vállalat, FŐBER, ÉM, Mélyépítő Vállalat, KKMV, IKV Budapest III. In his civil engineer career Tarlós worked in many positions such as foreman, deputy construction leader, construction leader, technical controller and head of production department. In the early 90's Tarlós launched his own architect studio with wife, Cecilia Nagy.
Tarlós wasn't active in politics before the political change of the 90's. Tarlós first entered politics by becoming a member of anti-communist SZDSZ (Alliance of Free Democrats) in 1989. He then, supported by SZDSZ and FIDESZ, became Budapest District III Mayor in 1990.
Tarlós left SZDSZ because of mental and moral differences in the summer of 1994. Tarlós couldn't accept the radical change in directions and principles of the party within the short period of its existence. He is an independent politician since then. As independent he had been continually reelected with great majority as Mayor in Budapest District III in 1994, 1998 and 2002.
Tarlós made it to establish functioning nexus with the liberal and socialist fraction within the Municipality of his district. The General Assembly regularly passed Tarlós's Budget Plan and Budget Report without abstention and black ball.
Tarlós, supported by FIDESZ Alliance, entered the local election in 2006 as Budapest Mayor candidate, and lost by a mere 1 per cent against Mr. Gábor Demszky Budapest Mayor. Until Tarlós's challenge Mr. Demszky has always received great majority. On the other hand Tarlós received more votes than his supporter, FIDESZ Alliance all together.
Tarlós, still as independent but declared conservative politician, became the leader of the FIDESZ-KDNP Fraction-Alliance in the Municipality of Budapest from October, 2006 till 2010. Next to his role as fraction-leader Tarlós was presently leading the "Social Referendum 2008" campaign, initiated by FIDESZ Alliance and Civil Social Basis.
In October 2010 Tarlós took 53 per cent of the votes in Budapest and become the new Mayor of the capital. (Tarlós got more votes, then the other three candidates together.) He was elected with the program of bringing the companies in local government ownership under direct local government control and full oversight of the assembly. He pledged to divert more funds to material and salary expenditures of services (police, firefighters, schools, public transport) the state of which he described as neglected. Instead of always choosing between individual developments while the stability of the city is according to him always pressed to the limit, he wants to drive the macroeconomic curves of the city into a long-term self-sustaining.
