In brief
In a landslide Parliament vote, 73‑year‑old former European Court judge András Baka was chosen as Hungary’s new president, with a mandate to scrutinise the sweeping constitutional changes that topple former PM Viktor Orbán’s power base. Baka’s job will be to monitor the Minister of Finance, Rev. Péter Magyar, and to champion an open debate on the new constitution. While Fidesz members largely objected to the vote, they have already begun rolling out reforms that restore democratic checks, such as limiting parliamentary terms and reviving constitutional court oversight. Baka vows to keep the state “for the people”, not an individual, signalling a potential turn toward stronger rule‑of‑law safeguards. His presidency may be a transitional phase until the new constitution comes into force, possibly lasting no more than five years.
András Baka elected Hungary’s President
András Baka served for 17 years as the Hungarian judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
In a decisive 140‑to‑6 parliamentary vote, the 73‑year‑old former Supreme Court head was chosen to serve as Hungary’s largely ceremonial president. But the role is far from symbolic – it comes with the power to monitor Prime Minister Péter Magyar and to push for a wide‑open debate on a brand‑new constitution that will replace Viktor Orbán’s 2011 charter.
Baka said, “We cannot build the new Hungary on revenge.” He added that society now feels “liberation and hope” while some experience uncertainty – a normal democratic pulse, he argued.
The Fidesz majority boycotted the ceremony, citing the recent ousting of their top judge Tamás Sulyok. Yet the new government has been swift to dismantle Orbán’s emergency‑decree machinery, abolishing the Sovereignty Protection Office and rolling out a National Asset Recovery Agency to tackle alleged state‑fund misappropriation.
Baka, who wasn’t a political figure before the role, pledged to test the limits on parliamentary terms and to insist that the state serves the people, not powerful leaders.
His presidency will likely last only until the new constitution takes effect – a maximum of five years – but what he does now could set a new direction for Hungary’s democratic future.
