Hungary elects supreme court judge ousted by Orban as new president

What the report says

Hungary’s parliament has elected Andras Baka, a former Supreme Court chief and long-time critic of Viktor Orban, as the country’s next president, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting. The National Assembly approved him in a secret ballot on Tuesday with 140 votes in favour, six against and no abstentions. Baka was nominated by the Tisza party, which now holds a constitutional majority in parliament.

Baka, 73, previously served on the European Court of Human Rights and led Hungary’s Supreme Court starting in 2009. He was removed from that post in 2011 after publicly challenging judicial reforms under Orban, which he said could weaken court independence. He is due to take office on August 19.

The vote comes amid a broader effort by Tisza to roll back institutions and rules associated with Orban’s long rule. Al Jazeera reported that the party has also moved to reform the media, create an anticorruption task force and set an eight-year limit on the prime ministership. Opposition Fidesz boycotted the vote and accused Tisza of using authoritarian methods, a claim Tisza denies.

Although the Hungarian presidency is largely ceremonial, Baka’s election is being viewed as another significant break with Orban’s political legacy. Al Jazeera said he replaces Tamas Sulyok, an Orban appointee, who was removed weeks earlier through a constitutional amendment.