Former Chief of General Staff Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi Appointed Hungary’s New Defense Minister

Hungary has a new minister of national defense. On May 12, parliament swore in retired Lieutenant General Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi.

This was announced by the Hungarian Ministry of Defense.

The nomination was presented by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who emphasized Ruszin-Szendi’s years of military experience and senior command roles in the armed forces.

According to the government, the new minister is expected to restore professional authority, efficiency, and public trust in the Hungarian Defense Forces.

Magyar said Budapest seeks to build a national defense force that Hungarians can rely on “with security and pride every day.”

Who is Ruszin-Szendi?

Ruszin-Szendi, 52, is a career military officer who began his service in 1995 after graduating from the Kossuth Lajos Military College as an artillery officer.

He later earned a master’s degree in military leadership, a doctorate in military science, and trained at the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College.

During his service, he commanded special forces units and participated in NATO missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he led the Hungarian contingent.

From 2021 to 2023, Ruszin-Szendi served as Chief of the General Staff of the Hungarian Armed Forces.

In the 2026 parliamentary elections, he was elected to parliament from the Tisza Party. After taking the oath, the president officially appointed him defense minister on the prime minister’s proposal.

Ruszin-Szendi is also known as an initiator of programs aimed at modernizing the image of the Hungarian military and strengthening its engagement with society.

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