Former judge removed by Orbán elected Hungarian president

What the report says

Hungary’s parliament has elected András Baka, a former Supreme Court president and longtime judge at the European Court of Human Rights, as the country’s new head of state, according to BBC World News. The post is largely ceremonial, but the appointment comes at a politically sensitive moment as Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government moves quickly to undo many of the structures associated with Viktor Orbán’s rule.

BBC reports that Baka was elected by 140 votes to 6 after all Fidesz MPs walked out in protest. In his speech to lawmakers, he called for reconciliation rather than retaliation and backed a broad public debate on a new constitution. He is expected to serve as a transitional president while constitutional changes are prepared, potentially for up to five years.

The article says the new government has already repealed emergency powers used under Orbán, abolished a state office that had targeted journalists and NGOs, and restored some checks on parliament. It has also moved to limit the terms of prime ministers and MPs and to revive constitutional oversight by the courts. At the same time, state media are being reorganized in the name of independence. The developments matter because they signal a rapid and far-reaching effort to reshape Hungary’s political system after years of centralization under Orbán.