Katalin Lévai

Dr Katalin Lévai (born May 22, 1954 in Budapest) is a Hungarian politician and Member of the European Parliament for the Hungarian Socialist Party, part of the Party of European Socialists.Levai is a maverick and social-liberal European/Hungarian politician. She is willing to use bombastic statements to draw attention to the social and equality problems in need of help. In 2003 she became the first minister without portfolio of equal opportunities, she used to be called the "Conscience of the Government". In 2005 she became a Presidential candidate in Hungary. Do to major 'inside issues' the left government in place managed to vote a right wing president, thus her aspirations weren't successful.

She is one of the biggest supporter of the full same-sex marriage in Hungary. Dr. Levai is working for mainstreaming gender equality issues at all levels of decision making, for removing obstacles – physical and mental as well – that hinder disabled people in accessing social services as equal citizens, and for effective measures ensuring the social integration of Roma people in Hungary and in the region.

Besides the active participation in the legislation process of the EU, Levai initiated several practical projects that offer direct services to the citizens and contribute to a more inclusive society in Hungary: the first Hungarian crisis-intervention centre was established for the victims of violence and the network of „Houses of Chances” is being built in all regions of Hungary with the aim of co-ordinating local services to the citizens (direct social assistance, legal aid, mental help, etc.)

Newly, Katalin Levai is known as a writer, she has wrote many books, publications in the past on her professional work, in November 2007 her third semi-fiction has been published, selling well on the Hungarian market. Good writing style, with some political input, ought to be a good read who still believe that even politicians are human.

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