Hungary nominates former Supreme Court chief Andras Baka for presidency

What the report says

Hungary’s governing Tisza party has nominated Andras Baka, a former chief of the country’s Supreme Court, to become the next president, according to Al Jazeera. Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the pick on Saturday after a secret-ballot decision by the party’s parliamentary group. Baka is expected to be elected by parliament on Tuesday, with Tisza holding a constitutional majority.

The nomination is part of Tisza’s broader effort to reduce the influence of Viktor Orban, whose 16-year rule ended when the party won a landslide election in April. The move follows a constitutional amendment used by Tisza to remove Orban-era President Tamas Sulyok from office. Tisza lawmakers said Baka’s record showed support for judicial independence, the rule of law and separation of powers.

Baka, 73, also served as a judge on the European Court of Human Rights before leading Hungary’s Supreme Court in 2009. He was removed in 2011 after publicly criticizing Orban’s judicial reforms, which he argued threatened court independence. The European Court later found that his dismissal violated his rights, a ruling the Council of Europe said Hungary had not fully implemented.

Although Hungary’s presidency is largely ceremonial, the nomination has symbolic weight because it signals Tisza’s intent to reshape state institutions and the constitutional order after years of Fidesz dominance. Fidesz said it would boycott the vote and accused Tisza of authoritarian tactics, which the governing party denies.