Erzsébet Schmuck

Erzsébet Schmuck (born 19 February 1954) is a Hungarian environmentalist, economist and politician. She was a member of the National Assembly (MP) from the LMP – Hungary's Green Party (Greens) National List from 2014 to 2022. She was elected leader of the party's parliamentary group in September 2016, serving in this capacity until February 2017. She served as co-chairperson of LMP from November 2019 to August 2024, when she left the party.

Professional career After finishing secondary studies in Szerb Antal Secondary Grammar School in 1972, she graduated as an economist from the Karl Marx University of Economic Sciences (today Corvinus University of Budapest) in 1977. She began to work as a payroll manager at the Budapest Directorate of the Hungarian State Railways (MÁV). In 1979 she joined the Hungarian Young Communist League (KISZ) staff, where she served as Secretary of the Youth Environmental Council between 1984 and 1989. She earned a doctorate in 1984. In a few months, Schmuck resigned from her position, giving reason that she intend to concentrate on organizational work within the party. Schmuck became MP via her party's national list in the 2018 Hungarian parliamentary election, after she unsuccessfully ran in Budapest 14th constituency. She served as chairperson of the Committee on Sustainable Development between 8 May 2018 and 1 May 2022. Under her leadership, the party changed its name to the LMP – Hungary's Green Party in February 2020, and the party joined the electoral alliance United for Hungary, as its least prominent member among the six opposition parties. During the 2021 Hungarian opposition primary, she was the sole candidate of the electoral alliance in Pest County 9th constituency (Nagykáta). During the 2022 parliamentary election, she, acquiring only 28.65 percent, was heavily defeated by the ruling party Fidesz–KDNP candidate György Czerván in Nagykáta constituency, thus Schmuck lost her parliamentary seat after eight years. She was re-elected female co-chair in August 2022.

Schmuck did not run for party leadership during the party's 2024 congress. On 24 August 2024, she announced her quit from LMP citing that the party "lost its opposition and green political image" under the dominance of Péter Ungár.