Hungary's parliament elects Orbán critic as new president
Photo: Andras Baka (Getty Images)
Hungary's parliament elects former Supreme Court judge Andras Baka as the country's new president. His appointment is part of Prime Minister Peter Magyar's efforts to dismantle Viktor Orban's political legacy, according to Bloomberg.
Hungary's new president
On Tuesday, Baka's candidacy was backed by 140 lawmakers, while six voted against him. Members of Orban's party did not take part in the vote.
Baka previously served as president of Hungary's Supreme Court and earlier worked as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights. In early 2012, Orban removed him as head of the Supreme Court.
What will change after the appointment
Baka replaces Tamas Sulyok, who was appointed to the post under Orban. Last month, Sulyok stepped down amid pressure from the new government.
Although the Hungarian president has limited executive powers, he can delay signing legislation or refer it to the Constitutional Court for review.
Magyar's government had feared that an Orban ally could slow down decisions needed to unlock billions of euros in frozen EU funding.
Magyar himself presented Baka as a judge who had defended the principles of the rule of law and the separation of powers.
Full break with Orban will take time
Commerzbank economist Tatha Ghose says Baka's appointment is symbolically important amid other steps by the new government to remove Orban's allies.
However, he says a complete dismantling of the former system will not happen quickly. The state apparatus remains heavily influenced by the previous regime, and changing established policies will take time.
"While the electoral mandate may be strong, the state apparatus remains heavily influenced by the previous regime, and unwinding entrenched policies will take time," Ghose wrote in a note.
Hungary continues to block Ukraine's EU integration. Budapest has postponed the opening of two negotiating clusters related to access to the single market and economic and social policies, while Peter Magyar's team also opposes efforts to speed up Ukraine's EU accession process.
