Viktor Szigetvári

Viktor Szigetvári
Szigetvári in 2016
President of Together sole since 14 February 2015
In office 8 March 2013 – 4 February 2017
Preceded by	Gordon Bajnai (informal)
Succeeded by	Péter Juhász
Personal details
Born	(1978-10-16) October 16, 1978 (age 38) Budapest
Political party	MSZP (2009–13) Együtt (since 2012)

Viktor Szigetvári (Szigetvári Viktor, born October 16, 1978 in Budapest) is a Hungarian politician, political scientist and campaign strategist, who served as leader of the Együtt party from 2013 to 2017.

Szigetvári finished his secondary studies at the Piarist Grammar School in Budapest. Following that he attended the Faculty of Arts to the Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), where he studied philosophy and political science. Obtaining a degree in 2000, he wrote his thesis with the title of "Tony Blair és az Új Munkáspárt" ("Tony Blair and the New Labour Party") on the subject of Blair's New Labour movement, his consultant was scholar and politician Tibor Navracsics.

In 2001, he became associate of Ron Werber, who served as campaign manager of the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) since the early 2000s, and was known for his negative campaigning methods in the 2002 parliamentary election. Szigetvári also actively participated in the campaign, helping to Ferenc Baja, campaign director of the party. He was one of the founders of the European Union Communication Public Foundation (EUKK). Following the Socialists' victory in 2002, Szigetvári was appointed an advisor to Prime Minister Péter Medgyessy, associated with Ferenc Gyurcsány. He served as Head of Secretariat then press agent of the Ministry of Youth and Sports since the summer of 2003. In June 2004, he was appointed head of communication affairs and manager of government ads in the Medgyessy cabinet, and became Deputy Secretary of State within the Prime Minister's Office Public Relations Secretariat, replacing Róbert Braun. Szigetvári retained his position, when Gyurcsány elevated to the position of Prime Minister after the forced resignation of Medgyessy. In May 2005, he became campaign manager for the next parliamentary and local elections, both held in 2006.