Hungary Parliament Elects Former Supreme Court Head Andras Baka as President
Andras Baka won 140 votes in the 199-seat National Assembly as the governing Tisza party backed a symbolic break from Viktor Orbán-era power structures.
- On Tuesday, Parliament elected Andras Baka, a former Supreme Court president, as Hungary's next president with 140 votes, exceeding the 133 required; the opposition Fidesz party boycotted the election.
- Prime Minister Peter Magyar nominated Baka after Tisza used its parliamentary majority to amend the Fundamental Law and remove President Sulyok in July, following Sulyok's refusal to resign.
- The European Court of Human Rights previously ruled Hungary violated Baka's rights when removing him as Supreme Court president. In 2011, Baka described removing senior officials through constitutional amendment as "simply astonishing."
- Fidesz labeled Sulyok the "last legitimate president" and claimed Baka would become a "puppet" of Tisza's parliamentary majority, though the party's six MPs could not secure enough endorsements for a valid nomination.
- Prime Minister Magyar argued Baka offers the strongest guarantee the presidency can "regain its true dignity." The role allows Baka to refer legislation to the Constitutional Court, serving as a constitutional counterweight to government.
201 Articles
201 Articles
In Hungary, parliament elected former Supreme Court Chief Justice Andras Baka as the country's new president.
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Although he was proposed by Péter Magyar's party and elected as the new head of state of Hungary, the former president of the Supreme Court of András Baka does not want to be a mere "abnicker" of the Prime Minister. In his inaugural speech, the 73-year-old reckoned with Viktor Orbán and his beinhart system, but also in the direction of the new head of government, Baka issued a serious warning. Baka has consistently advocated the rule of law and …
Ousted by Orbán, back with a vengeance: Hungary’s president András Baka to restore rule of law
In a secret ballot on Tuesday (11 August), the Hungarian parliament elected András Baka, a legal scholar and former president of the Supreme Court, as the country’s president with the votes of 140 MPs, presumably from the Tisza parliamentary group. The opposition Fidesz and KDNP parliamentary groups did not take part in the vote, while the six MPs from the far-right Mi Hazánk party presumably voted against. Baka’s term will last until a new cons…
Hungary elects Orban critic Andras Baka as first president of new political era
Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday approved former supreme court chief Andras Baka – a prominent critic of Viktor Orban who was ousted during the ex-premier's time in power – as the country's next head of state.
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