He was born in 1959, he is a lawyer and a politician. He earned his degree at the Faculty of Law of Eötvös Loránd University in 1986. He was the founding member of the Legal and Social Sciences College for Advanced Studies, which later became known as Bibó István College for Advanced Studies in 1983, and the Századvég (Turn of the Century) journal. From 1984 to 1988 he was the dormitory teacher of the College. From 1986 he became the scientific assistant of the Institute of Social Sciences of the Central Committee of the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party.

From 1987 to 1988 Hungarian Academy of Sciences and the scholar of Soros Foundation. In 1988 he was among the founders of Fidesz, the Hungarian Round Table in 1989, he was the party representative at the National Round Table Talks (Nemzeti Kerekasztal tárgyalások). He has been the Member of Parliament since 1990 and the member of the National Committee since 1988 and became the president of the National Committee in 1993, then vice-president in 1993 and finally the member of the presidency. Faction/ Floor leader from 1993 to 1994. From 1998 to 2000he served as minister without portfolio for the Civilian Intelligence Services.  From 1997 to 1999 and from 2001 on he was the executive vice president of the party, and president from 2000 to 2001. He was the president of the National Committee from 2002 and member of the party presidency. He has been the speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary since 2010 and he was re-elected for this position after the elections in 2014. He is the patron of the Memorial Year for 1956.