Newly elected Hungarian President Pal Schmitt was officially inaugurated at the presidential Sandor Palace in Budapest on Friday, Xinhua reported
The president-elect was born on May 13, 1942, in Budapest. He was a successful fencer in his youth, winning an Olympic gold medal for his country in 1968 and another one in 1972
He started his political career in the 1980s. Schmitt became president of the Hungarian Olympic Committee in 1989.
He later became a diplomat, serving as Hungary's ambassador to Spain, Andorra, Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
Schmitt had also served as vice president of the International Olympic Committee and presided over the World Olympians Association.
In 2003, he became deputy president of the centre-right Fidesz party.
Schmitt became a member of the European Parliament (EP) in 2004 and, in 2009, he was elected one of the 14 vice presidents of the EP.
In May 2010, Schmitt became speaker of the National Assembly of Hungary.
On June 29, Schmitt was elected president with an overwhelming majority of 263 votes in the 386-member parliament, compared with 59 for the rival Socialist candidate Andras Balogh.
Schmitt succeeds Laszlo Solyom as president