Andras Baka Becomes Hungarian President

Former Supreme Court President Andras Baka formally took office as Hungary's head of state on Wednesday, eight days after being elected by parliament. The governing Tisza Party's candidate received 140 votes, with six lawmakers voting against him. Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP) boycotted the vote.

The change followed the 17th amendment to Hungary's Fundamental Law, which brought President Tamas Sulyok's term to an early end on 20 July. His presidential powers were temporarily assumed by Speaker of Parliament Agnes Forsthoffer.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar had been calling for Sulyok's resignation since Tisza won a two-thirds majority in the parliamentary election on 12 April. After Sulyok refused to step down, the government pushed through a constitutional amendment providing for the early termination of his mandate.

Sulyok signed the amendment but strongly criticized it, describing the measure as a grave and shameful historical example of the abuse of political power.

Fidesz and the Christian Democrats consider Sulyok's removal illegitimate and challenged the constitutional amendment before the Constitutional Court. On 17 August, the court rejected their petition on the grounds that it lacked jurisdiction to consider the case.

Tisza nominated Baka on 8 August. The 73-year-old lawyer previously served as president of Hungary's Supreme Court and as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights.

(hvg, bak)