Hungary Elects Judge Ousted by Orban as New President

Thirteen years after Viktor Orban pushed him out of Hungary's Supreme Court, Andras Baka just took an oath as the country's new president.

The 73-year-old jurist won parliamentary approval Tuesday with 140 votes in a symbolic victory for new Prime Minister Peter Magyar. Magyar's pro-European TISZA party swept to power in April with a mandate to reverse Orban's controversial policies.

Baka's journey back to prominence tells a story of resilience. He spent nearly two decades as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights before returning home in 2009 to lead Hungary's Supreme Court. Just two years later, Orban cut his term short by three years and sidelined him from public life.

Now the tables have turned completely. Baka replaces Tamas Sulyok, an Orban appointee whose presidency was shortened through a constitutional amendment to make room for new leadership. Magyar called Baka's life "an example of commitment to the democratic rule of law."

The appointment wasn't without controversy. Orban's Fidesz party boycotted the vote entirely, calling the removal of the previous president "tyrannical." Some democracy watchdogs noted the irony of using constitutional amendments to remove a sitting president, even one installed by Orban.

The Bright Side

Baka addressed those concerns directly in his acceptance speech. He promised parliament that Hungary "cannot build the new Hungary on revenge" and vowed to ensure constitutional changes never again become "the exclusive project of a single political force."

His words matter because he knows firsthand what political retaliation looks like. Rather than seeking payback, he's pledging to protect democratic institutions for everyone, including his former opponents.

Magyar initially considered offering the largely ceremonial role to chess champion Judit Polgar, who gracefully declined. But in choosing Baka, he found someone whose personal story embodies the democratic restoration he promised voters.

The message is clear: in Hungary's new chapter, expertise and judicial independence matter more than political loyalty.