Born in Budapest on 2 April 1951. Married and mother of two adult children.
Completed the Economy Planner and Analyst degree programme of the Karl Marx University of Economics and graduated as economist in 1974. In 1981, completed a post-graduate programme in Complex Management at the Institute of Post-Graduate Studies of the Karl Marx University of Economics. Between 2002 and 2004, completed the EU-expert programme in the Institute of Post-Graduate Studies of the University of Miskolc with a pre-degree certificate.
Started to work at a state-owned construction company in 1974.
Worked as an associate for the party administration at town and county level between 1981 and 1989. Following the change of regime, started to work in the financial sector, dealing with loans granted to small-sized businesses, at the City Directorate of the Hungarian Credit Bank.
Head of the Directorate of the Miskolc branch of Agrobank since 1993; CEO of the Rákóczi Regional Development Bank between 1996 and 1999. Regional Director of Perfekt Ltd. since 2000; Deputy Mayor of the town of Miskolc since 2002.
Member of the MSZMP, founding member of the MSZP in 1989. Within the party, served as a Committee President of the National Board and Member of Board at town and county level as well. At present, Member of the National Board and President of the City Board of Miskolc. Elected as Vice President of the National Board on 20 November 2004; re-elected in 2006.
In December 1994, Member of the Municipal Assembly of Miskolc for the first time. Both in 1998 and in 2002 won in the local election in the elector district No. 6, obtaining 41% and 63% of the votes, respectively. In the Municipal Assembly served as budget advisor and group leader of the Socialists; elected as Deputy Mayor by the socialist majority body following the local elections held on 20 October 2002. Supervisor the areas of development and planning, as well as the systems of health care and social services.
MP-candidate in the spring of 1998. Ranked No. 16 on the county list of election and No. 97 on the national list of election in 2002. Invited to be an MP on the ground of the decision National Board of the MSZP of 26 June 2004, after Zita Gurmai Gulyásné resigned her parliamentary mandate when she was elected as a Member of the European Parliament. Sworn as an MP on 27 August 2004. Obtained a mandate on the national list of election at the parliamentary elections in 2006. Member of the Committee of European Affairs in the National Assembly since 30 May 2006.
Minister of the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labour since May 2008.
