Hungary Elects Former Supreme Court Chief Baka as President

Hungary’s parliament elected former Supreme Court chief András Baka as the country’s new president on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, in a vote that marks a symbolic repudiation of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s legacy. The National Assembly confirmed Baka, a 73-year-old jurist and critic of Orbán, with 140 votes in favor and six against in a secret ballot. He is set to assume office on August 19.

Baka’s election follows his nomination on Saturday by the ruling Tisza party, which holds a constitutional two-thirds majority in parliament. The party framed his appointment as a step toward restoring judicial independence and democratic governance. Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that Baka’s life demonstrated a commitment to the rule of law, which he said Hungary needs to be guided back toward. Tisza deputy leader Márk Radnai added that the country needed a president who was not an extension of the government and could say no to the political majority when necessary.

The presidency became vacant after the previous officeholder, Tamás Sulyok, an Orbán appointee, was removed in July through a constitutional amendment. Sulyok’s mandate was cut short after he refused Magyar’s calls to...