Hungarian Parliament Elects Andras Baka as President Amid Fidesz Boycott

Andras Baka, former head of the Hungarian Supreme Court, was elected president by the National Assembly on Tuesday in a vote boycotted by the largest opposition party, Fidesz.

Parliamentary Election Results

Andras Baka, former president of the Hungarian Supreme Court, was elected on Tuesday by the National Assembly as the new president of Hungary. The election of the new head of state was boycotted by Fidesz, the largest opposition party.

A total of 146 out of 199 deputies took part in the voting. The ballot recorded 140 votes in favor and six against.

Voting Procedure

Deputies were given 40 minutes to cast their ballots into the urn. The subsequent 20 minutes were allocated for counting the votes.

Political Context and Transition

The previous president chosen by the parliament—which was dominated at the time by Fidesz led by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban—was Tamas Sulyok. He left office on July 20 after signing a constitutional amendment adopted by the new parliament, which included provisions for removing him from power. Following the expiration of Sulyok’s mandate, parliamentary speaker Agnes Forsthoffer temporarily assumed the duties of the head of state.