Oltay Edith: Fidesz and the Reinvention of the Hungarian Center-Right (Budapest, 2012)
Ongoing Centralization: Organizational Changes within Fidesz
for nine years. He was an MP from 1990 to 2004, and in the last two years he was also a Deputy Speaker of the House. He led the Fidesz Faction for seven years (1994-1997; 1998-2002). Following his former activities in foreign affairs and European issues, Szájer was nominated and elected to European Parliament in 2004 and re-elected in 2009. As the Chairman of the National Consultation Body (called upon by Orbán) and as the leader of the Constitution Drafting Committee appointed by the Fidesz faction, he had an important role in the creation of the new Constitution in 2011. Varga, Mihály (1965-) Graduated in economics from Karl Marx (later Budapest) University of Economic Sciences in 1989. He joined Fidesz at the end of 1988. He has been an MP since 1990 with only a few months' break. Varga has dealt primarily with economic policy issues as the leader of the economic policy team of Fidesz and as a member or chairman of various economic committees in Parliament. He was a member of Orbán's first Cabinet as State Secretary of Finance in 1998-2000 and as Minister of Finance from 2000. Apart from two years (2003-2005) he has been a Vice-Chairman of Fidesz. In Orbán's second Cabinet he has led the Premiership Office as a State Secretary since 2010. Várhegyi, Attila (1963-) Graduated in education from József Attila University of Szeged. He joined Fidesz in 1989 and he was one of the founders of the Fidesz group in Szolnok where he served as a Mayor from 1991 to 1998. He was the Chairman of the Steering Committee and thus an ex officio member of the Presidium of Fidesz between 1994 and 2002. He was regarded as one of the most important behind-thescenes operators of the party in this period. From 1998 he was also a State Secretary of the Ministry of National Cultural Heritage for 256