István Kolber

István Kolber (born 26 June 1954) is a Hungarian politician and jurist, who served as Minister without portfolio for Regional Development and Convergence between 2004 and 2006. He was a member of the National Assembly of Hungary from 2002 to 2014.

Professional career István Kolber was born on 26 June 1954 in Orci, Somogy County, as the son of Imre Kolber and Rózsa Sebők. He is married to Terézia Ternyák since 1975, and is father of two daughters, Kinga (b. 1978) and Adél (b. 1983). Kolber finished his secondary studies at the Táncsics Mihály Secondary Grammar School of Kaposvár in 1972. He earned a degree of law at the University of Pécs in 1978. He took professional examination in law in 1983.

Kolber started his career as rapporteur then chief rapporteur in the organizational and legal department of the Executive Committee of Somogy County Council from 1978 to 1983. Meanwhile, he joined the Hungarian Socialist Workers' Party (MSZMP) and functioned as Deputy Head of the Administrative Department of the MSZMP Somogy County Committee between 1983 and 1988. He served as Head of the Legal Department of the Somogy County Council from 1988 to 1991. Kolber was President of the Somogy County section of the Faculty of Hungarian Public Administration between 1991 and 2001. Beside that he also acted as national vice-president of the organization between 1996 and 1998.

Political career After the transition to democracy, he joined the Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and retained his membership in the re-formed General Assembly of Somogy County from 1991 until 2010, and acted as its vice-president from 1991 to 1994. Beside that, he also chaired the Alps-Adriatic Working Community in that period. After the 1994 Hungarian local elections, Kolber served as President of the General Assembly of Somogy County between 1994 and 1998. He was also the founding president of the South Transdanubia Regional Spatial Development Council from 1997 to 1998. He worked as regional director of the OTP Bank Real Estate plc. from 1998 to 2002. Kolber led the MSZP faction in the General Assembly of Somogy County between 1999 and 2004. He was also a member of the party's national board from 1998 to 2000. He served as vice-chairman (2000–2003), then chairman (2003–2011) of the MSZP local branch in Somogy County. He was Chairman of the Balaton Development Council between September 2002 and December 2004. Formally, Kolber was an independent MP until 2014.

Awards Kolber is an honorary citizen of fifteen settlements in Somogy County, including Barcs (2006) and his birthplace Orci (2004).