Here is what comes after the Hungarian President resigned

The Hungarian Parliament elected Katalin Novák as President of Hungary in May 2022. She could have acted as President until 2027. However, she resigned yesterday following a scandal that broke out because she pardoned the helper of a child abuser. Now, the parliament can decide about the new President. Or will the events take an unexpected turn?

Based on the laws, Katalin Novák’s presidency did not end yesterday. We do not know whether she stated the date of her departure in the resignation document she submitted to the Hungarian parliament or not. However, leaving the office cannot happen earlier than 15 days after the resignation. As a result, she will remain Hungary’s President for at least two weeks.

Afterwards, the Speaker of the House, László Kövér (Fidesz), will be in charge and become the commander-in-chief of the Hungarian Army. According to infostart.hu, the National Assembly has 30 days to elect another president.

Hungary will have a new president by early March

Candidates must acquire at least 1/5th of the MPs’ support to become eligible for the voting. Since Orbán has a supermajority, he will choose Hungary’s next President. Political experts say the Hungarian opposition has only one chance to better their positions for the coming 9 June municipal and EU elections: finding a highly-supported person and backing him or her jointly. In that case, they could gain some political advantage and may be able to beat Fidesz in the elections. That has not happened ever. Since Hungary’s accession to the European Union (2004), Orbán’s Fidesz has won all the EP elections.

Here is Katalin Novák’s statement about her resignation

President Katalin Novák issued a statement on Saturday, addressing the Hungarian people “at home and beyond the border”.

“I now address you — not politicians or policymakers — but those whom I swore to serve two years ago,” she wrote.

“I took on this task because I passionately love Hungary… I believe ours is a peaceful, loving, caring nation. I believe in the silent majority, in people who work hard every day, I believe in honour, in being upstanding, and in the power of love…”

Novák referred to her recent decision to issue a pardon which, she said, had “caused confusion”, and people expected an explanation.

“The power of pardon is perhaps more sensitive than anything else…. Last April, I decided on clemency believing that the person convicted had not abused the vulnerability of the children entrusted to him. I was wrong, because the pardon and the lack of justification raised doubts about zero tolerance for pedophilia…”

“Let there be no doubt: I would never pardon anyone whom I believed would have physically or mentally abused children…”

Novák said it was the duty of the president to represent the unity of the nation.

“The child is our most important treasure. I believe that the nation is united on this point… Protecting children is our common duty.”

“As a Hungarian, I would expect the president of the republic not to make mistakes,” she said, adding that responsibility must be taken in such a case.

“I apologise to those I have offended and to any victims who may have felt that I was not standing up for them. I was, I am and I always will be for children and families.”

“As head of state, I am addressing you today for the last time. I am resigning from the office of President of the Republic,” Novák said.

She is not the only one who left Hungary’s public life

Former justice minister Judit Varga said on Saturday that she is retiring from public life, resigning from her mandate as an MP and from her position leading the EP list of the governing Fidesz-Christian-Democrat alliance. Varga announced her decision on her Facebook page on Saturday in response to the resignation of President Katalin Novák.

Varga said in her post that since the change in political system, the validity of the president’s individual pardon decisions had required the countersignature of the justice minister. “I continued the more than 25-year-old practice of the justice minister in acknowledging the president’s clemency decision,” she said, adding that she assumed political responsibility for countersigning the president’s decision.

Read also:

• Hungarian President resigns after pardoning paedophile helper – Read more HERE
• Will Hungary’s defence minister replace Novák as President of Hungary?