President Novák was born in Szeged on September 6, 1977. She is married to the economist István Veres, with whom she has three children, Ádám, Tamás, and Kata. Her parents are doctors, a profession also chosen by her older brother. Though Szeged is dear to her heart, she spent her university years in Budapest and moved to the city permanently with her husband after graduating.
Katalin Novák majored in international relations at the Budapest University of Economics and Public Administration (as a certified economist) and obtained degrees from the University of Szeged’s Faculty of Law and Political Sciences and the Paris Nanterre University (Community and French Law).
She participated in the development of the independent Hungarian family policy and model and then headed up the policy in the government as a state secretary and then as minister. She is the initiator of a number of family support measures. Her time in office saw the introduction of the Family Home Creation Discount (CSOK), the baby shower support and home renovation support programs, the personal income tax exemption granted to mothers with four or more children, and the infant care allowance that exceeds the recipient’s preceding net wages. She created the Stipendium Peregrinum scholarship program. In 2018, Hungary celebrated the Year of the Family at her behest.
Katalin Novák is a Reformed Christian. She is an avid runner, has run a marathon, and is also a talented skier, enjoys the theatre and movies, and loves board games. A few years ago, the family adopted a dog, named Pogo.
Katalin Novák was elected President of Hungary on May 10, 2022.