The Tisza Party has nominated Rubovszky Rita, head of the Cistercian Schools Main Authority, as its candidate for education minister in the 2026 elections, according to multiple independent sources.
Rubovszky Rita, who has led the Cistercian Schools Main Authority since an unspecified date, confirmed to HVG.hu that she had been approached but declined to comment, stating the new government had not yet been formed.
She holds a degree in comparative Franco-Hungarian literature from József Attila University in Szeged, earned in 1988, and later studied at the Sorbonne in Paris on a scholarship.
Her professional background includes teaching at Budapest’s Móricz Zsigmond Gymnasium and leading the Patrona Hungariae Gymnasium, maintained by the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin, for twelve years until her position was terminated in 2023 without explanation.
Rubovszky Rita served twelve years as president of the European Association of Catholic Teachers and has been president of the Seventy-Two Teachers’ Movement since September 5, 2025.
She has publicly criticized the current national curriculum, telling the Catholic news portal vasarnap.hu that its delivery does not align with 21st-century expectations.
Education unions respond to the nomination with cautious optimism
Erzsébet Nagy, president of the Democratic Teachers’ Union (PDSZ), told Népszava that the union was surprised by the selection but hopes the new minister will bring change from the perceived failures of the Orbán government.
Totyik Tamás, president of the Teachers’ Union (PSZ), said the union awaits the new government’s education policy direction and believes Rubovszky Rita’s church background will not hinder efforts to reduce segregation between state and religious schools.
Horváth Péter, president of the National Pedagogical Council (NPK), emphasized that the upcoming education reform will require significant work, including revising the national curriculum and reducing workloads for teachers and students.
Postal vote verification shows high rejection rate due to ID mismatches
The National Election Office (NVI) reported that of the 356,332 returned postal ballot packages, 335,342 were valid party-list votes, while nearly 19,000 were invalidated due to faulty identification declarations.
The most common reasons for invalidation were discrepancies between personal data provided and the election IT system, missing personal details such as name, place and date of birth, or absent identification document numbers.
The NVI confirmed that ballot papers were scanned electronically for preliminary counting and will be recounted manually before final results are filed with district election committees.
The National Election Committee (NVB) will finalize the party-list results by May 4 at the latest, based on the NVI’s protocol and municipal committee reports.
Who is Rubovszky Rita and what is her background in education?
Rubovszky Rita is the head of the Cistercian Schools Main Authority, a former president of the European Association of Catholic Teachers, and a former teacher at Móricz Zsigmond Gymnasium in Budapest.
Why did the Democratic Teachers’ Union express surprise at her nomination?
The PDSZ stated it was surprised by the selection because no prior consultation occurred, though it hopes the new minister will avoid repeating the mistakes of the previous government.
When will the official results of the postal voting be determined?
The National Election Committee will finalize the party-list postal vote results by May 4 at the latest, following verification and manual recount procedures.
