Hungary's Tisza Party Nominates Former Supreme Court Chief for President

Hungary's governing Tisza party has nominated former Supreme Court chief András Baka as its candidate for president, a move widely seen as a symbolic step in Prime Minister Péter Magyar's effort to dismantle the influence of former Premier Viktor Orbán's government. The nomination, announced on Saturday, August 8, 2026, by Magyar, sets the stage for a parliamentary vote on Tuesday, August 11, where Baka is expected to be elected.

Baka, a 73-year-old legal scholar and former judge at the European Court of Human Rights, was removed from his post as head of Hungary's Supreme Court in 2012 by Orbán's government after he publicly criticized reforms he said threatened judicial independence. The European Court later ruled that his dismissal violated his rights to a fair trial and freedom of expression. His selection by the Tisza parliamentary group through a secret ballot follows a public selection process that began after Magyar's first choice, chess grandmaster Judit Polgár, declined the nomination in July.

Magyar stated on Facebook that the decision was one of the party's most important so far. Tisza lawmakers emphasized Baka's lifelong commitment to the separation of powers and...