Hungary's parliament elected Constitutional Court chief Tamas Sulyok as the country's new president on Monday, two weeks after the sudden resignation of Katalin Novak.
Novak, a close ally of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, resigned from the largely ceremonial role as president after it was revealed she had pardoned a convicted child abuser's accomplice.
Hungary Parliament Elects Sulyok as New President
The new presidential -candidate of Hungary, former chairman of the Constitutional Court Tamas Sulyok (L) is applauded by representatives of the Hungarian Parliament in the main hall of the parliament building in Budapest on February 26, 2024. Hungary's parliament elected a political novice as president following the resignation of his predecessor, who caused outrage by pardoning a man convicted in a child abuse case.
Last week, Sulyok was named by the ruling party Fidesz to succeed Novak, the first female president of Hungary. Sulyok obtained 134 votes in favor of his presidency, while five lawmakers voted against it.
On Monday, parliament, where Fidesz's alliance with the Christian Democratic People's Party maintains a two-thirds majority, approved his nomination after he took the oath of office.
Sulyok will become president on March 5. Unknown to the general public, Sulyok was appointed to the Constitutional Court as a judge in 2014 and took over two years later as the court's head.
The politically inexperienced Sulyok's appointment has drawn criticism from the opposition. Four opposition parties held a protest on Sunday that drew about 3,000 participants and demanded direct presidential elections.
Orban emphasized that Novak's resignation was a 'nightmare' but noted it was the right decision. He referred to Sulyok as someone with vast experience, respected knowledge, and undisputed authority during the opening of parliament on Monday.
He believed that Hungary needed such a president now. The Constitutional Court rendered several controversial rulings under Sulyok, including on teachers' rights to strike. Orban has vowed to tighten current legislation to prevent convicted child abusers from gaining clemency to lessen public outrage over the pardon scandal.
Furthermore, he intends to verify those working with children to ensure they have completed the appropriate suitability test, which covers lifestyle, sexual deviance, and psychological fitness.
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Sulyok's Speech After Nomination
According to Reuters, parliament elected Sulyok for five years with the support of the lawmakers from Orban's ruling party.
"Just as a lawyer, also as President of the Republic, I can best serve the public good and stand for the unity of the nation by upholding the fundamental values of the law," Sulyok said.
Sulyok gave a brief statement after his election in which he promised to be transparent in his judgments about presidential pardons and awards. During his speech, he also mentioned the procedures against Hungary, in which the European Union has halted billions in funding over concerns about the rule of law and democracy.
Furthermore, he claimed they can see how the correctly defined concept of the rule of law is lost and transformed from an idea into an idol in today's Europe as part of a purely utilitarian political approach. He also discussed his view that EU states maintain their legal national sovereignty despite their affiliation in the bloc.
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