Hungary's ruling Tisza Party on Aug. 8 selected lawyer András Baka as its candidate to become the country's new president. Baka previously served as head of the Supreme Court of Hungary and head of the National Council of Justice.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in a Facebook post on Saturday evening that he met personally with Baka, who accepted the offer to run for office. The National Assembly will vote on the nomination on Aug. 11. Approval requires a two-thirds majority of lawmakers, and with Tisza holding 141 of the 199 parliamentary seats, Baka's election is effectively assured. Magyar already referred to Baka as the president in his social media post.
Judicial Career and ECHR Ruling
Baka worked as a lawyer and judge at the European Court of Human Rights from 1991 to 2008. He was appointed president of the Supreme Court of Hungary in 2009 for a six-year term. However, a 2011 constitutional reform abolished the position, terminating his mandate early in 2012.
Baka stated that his mandate ended because of his public criticism of judicial reforms introduced by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's government. The European Court of Human Rights recognized that Baka's rights to freedom of speech and legal defense were violated, ruling that the reform was adopted specifically to remove him from office as a critic of Orbán.
Presidential Role and Nomination Context
In Hungary, the president serves as formal head of state, while political decisions are made by the government led by the prime minister. The role is largely ceremonial, though the president holds powers to draft bills, sign or reject passed laws, and dissolve the National Assembly.
Magyar emphasized that the future president should be a person who holds respect and authority among Hungarian citizens of various political views. In July, Magyar proposed chess player Judit Polgár for the post, but she declined, stating she was not ready to take on the historical responsibility of unifying the nation. Earlier that month, Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok signed constitutional amendments passed by parliament providing for the early termination of his powers.
