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Tisza Coalition Elects András Baka Hungarian President 140–6

8/13/2026

48 8 Full Breakdown

Summary

Baka Elected President

Parliament elected András Baka as president on 11 August 2026, voting 140-6 as the Tisza coalition, holding a two-thirds majority, while Fidesz boycotted.
Baka, a 17-year European Court of Human Rights judge removed by Viktor Orbán in 2011—a move the ECHR later deemed a rights violation—will be sworn in on 19 August for a five-year term that ends if a new constitution is adopted, pledging justice, restraint and no revenge.

Summary

Baka Receives Payment

The European Court of Human Rights ordered Hungary to pay András Baka around €100,000 after finding his 2011 removal violated his rights.
Speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer became acting president on 20 July after President Tamás Sulyok’s term ended due to the 17th amendment approved on 13 July.
In his inaugural speech on 19 August, Baka warned of deep social division and a crisis that must be addressed.

History

Historical Context

Hungary joined the EU on 1 May 2004, accepting the Copenhagen criteria for judicial independence. From 2020 the EU tied funding to rule-of-law compliance, freezing billions and levying a €200 million fine in 2024 over migration-law breaches. In May 2026 the European Commission unlocked €16.4 billion of frozen aid after Hungary pledged additional reforms, showing how accession safeguards still drive its judicial changes.

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Baka Elected President

Parliament elected András Baka as president on 11 August 2026, voting 140-6 as the Tisza coalition, holding a two-thirds majority, while Fidesz boycotted.
Baka, a 17-year European Court of Human Rights judge removed by Viktor Orbán in 2011—a move the ECHR later deemed a rights violation—will be sworn in on 19 August for a five-year term that ends if a new constitution is adopted, pledging justice, restraint and no revenge.

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