András Baka, former head of the Hungarian Supreme Court, has been nominated by Hungary’s ruling Tisza party as the country’s next president. Baka, aged 73 and a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights, is poised to secure this largely ceremonial role through a parliamentary vote scheduled for Tuesday.
This nomination is part of Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s strategy to dismantle the remnants of Viktor Orbán’s longstanding influence, which Magyar claims to have a strong mandate to do, following his party’s decisive victory in the April elections. The Tisza party has expressed confidence in Baka’s commitment to judicial independence and the separation of powers.
Baka’s prior experience and demonstrated independence are seen as substantial assets during this period of constitutional reforms in Hungary.
Magyar’s election victory marked the end of Orbán’s 16-year rule. The new premier is committed to restoring democratic standards and has urged officials appointed by Orbán’s party to resign. A significant goal for Magyar has been the removal of former President Tamás Sulyok, whom he criticized as being overly influenced by Orbán.
Tamás Sulyok’s presidency was terminated following a constitutional amendment enacted by Magyar’s party. The amendment stipulates that Baka’s presidency will either last until a new constitution is implemented or for a maximum of five years.
Previously, Baka was dismissed from his role as Supreme Court president in 2011 by Orbán’s government. The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that his removal was politically motivated and detrimental to democratic freedoms in Hungary, a claim rejected by Orbán’s administration.
Under the current constitution, the presidency in Hungary holds limited power, primarily serving ceremonial functions with restricted authority to veto or demand legislative reviews.
The opposition Fidesz party has announced its decision to abstain from participating in the presidential election process, accusing the Tisza party of implementing authoritarian policies, which Tisza has refuted.