BUDAPEST — Hungary’s parliament elected former Supreme Court president András Baka as the country’s new president on Tuesday, in a vote that marked another break with the political system built during former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule.
Baka, 73, received 140 votes in favour and six against in a secret ballot, according to reports on the parliamentary vote. Members of the opposition Fidesz party, which had opposed the process, did not participate.
The presidency is largely ceremonial, but the head of state has powers including reviewing legislation. Baka is expected to formally assume office on Aug. 19, eight days after his election.
In a speech after his election, Baka said Hungary needed to confront its recent political past while avoiding retaliation. He said the country could not build its future on revenge and pledged that the presidency would represent citizens with differing political views.
Baka is a former judge of the European Court of Human Rights and served as president of Hungary’s Supreme Court from 2009 until his removal in 2012 following changes to the country’s judicial system. The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that his premature removal violated his rights, including his freedom of expression and access to a court.
His election followed a constitutional amendment backed by Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s governing Tisza party that ended the presidency of Tamás Sulyok. Under the amended rules, Baka’s mandate will last until a new constitution takes effect or for a maximum of five years.
Fidesz said the termination of Sulyok’s mandate and Baka’s election were illegitimate, accusing the Tisza government of acting tyrannically. Tisza has rejected accusations that its reforms are authoritarian.
Magyar’s government, which took power after an election in April, has pledged to dismantle institutions and political practices associated with the Orbán era. Baka’s return to a senior constitutional office places a figure who previously challenged Orbán-era judicial reforms at the head of state.
Baka will take office on Aug. 19, according to reports, beginning his mandate amid the government’s broader effort to introduce a new constitutional framework.
