In brief
In a sweeping parliamentary vote, Hungary elected former Supreme Court chief András Baka as president, a role he expects to use to challenge the entrenched power of the late Viktor Orbán. Baka’s mandate will oversee the drafting of a new constitution and monitor Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s initiatives. The election came as all 51 Fidesz MPs abandoned the chamber, signalling a dramatic shift in Hungary’s political landscape. The new president’s term may last until the constitution is enacted or a maximum of five years. Baka’s background as a European Court of Human Rights judge and his historic removal by Orbán’s administration add weight to his seminal role.
Hungarian parliament, after all 51 members of the ruling Fidesz party walked out in protest, voted 140‑6 to appoint 73‑year‑old former supreme court chief András Baka as the country’s head of state.
Baka, who served 17 years as Hungary’s judge at the European Court of Human Rights, had been stripped of his Supreme Court presidency by the Orbán-led government in 2011 for upholding the rule of law. He now faces the task of supervising Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s efforts to dismantle the economic‑political machinery erected by Orbán and to shepherd the drafting of a replacement constitution.
The parliament has already passed 27 laws and set two constitutional amendments in motion, while it has revoked all emergency states that Orbán used to rule by decree. It also abolished the “Sovereignty Protection Office”—the tool used to attack journalists and NGOs—and created a National Asset Recovery Office granted sweeping authority to investigate alleged embezzlement by former officials.
Baka’s election is expected to last until the new constitution is inaugurated or, at most, five years. In a BBC interview he said he opposed limiting MPs’ terms, believing voters should choose representatives freely, and warned that his tenure would “push back against Hungary’s tendency to trust in powerful leaders”.
