Hungarian Ruling Party Nominates Former Supreme Court President András Baka for President

The ruling Tisza party of Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has nominated former Supreme Court President András Baka to become the next president of Hungary. The nomination was announced on Saturday following a secret ballot by the party's parliamentary group. Baka, a 73 year old jurist and former judge of the European Court of Human Rights, accepted the request to serve the nation. The parliamentary vote is scheduled for Tuesday and is expected to be a formality because the Tisza party holds 141 of the 199 seats, exceeding the two thirds majority required for election. If elected, Baka could take office on August 19.

Baka previously served as the head of the Supreme Court from 2009 until 2011, when he was removed from his post by the government of Viktor Orbán. The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that this removal was unlawful and based on ad hominem legislation because Baka had criticized the government's judicial reforms. Prime Minister Magyar stated that Baka's commitment to the separation of powers and judicial independence makes him the ideal candidate to guide the country back to the rule of law. This move follows the premature end of former President Tamás Sulyok's term, which was terminated via a constitutional amendment in July.

Opposition parties have reacted sharply to the nomination. Fidesz announced it would not participate in the election, calling the process a soap opera and maintaining that Sulyok remains the last legitimate president. The KDNP claimed that Baka is motivated by a desire for revenge against Fidesz. Similarly, the Mi Hazánk party described Baka as unfit for the office, arguing that he is now participating in the same type of personal legislation he once fought against. Mi Hazánk has proposed energy lawyer Máté Tóth as an alternative candidate, though they lack the parliamentary support to force his name onto the ballot.