Hungary’s governing Tisza party announced the nomination of Andras Baka as its presidential candidate on Saturday, according to an announcement by Prime Minister Peter Magyar. Baka, 73, previously served as chief of Hungary’s Supreme Court before being removed from that position in 2012 after publicly criticizing government reforms he believed threatened judicial independence.
The nomination represents part of Tisza’s broader effort to reduce Orban’s influence over state institutions following the party’s decisive victory in April that ended his 16-year tenure in power. The decision came several weeks after Tisza successfully used a constitutional amendment to remove Orban-era President Tamas Sulyok from office. Magyar characterized the nomination as one of the party’s most significant decisions to date, made through secret ballot within Tisza’s parliamentary group.
Parliamentary lawmakers supporting Baka emphasized his longstanding commitment to separation of powers and judicial independence, viewing his background as valuable as the party works to establish what it describes as Hungary’s new constitutional order. Baka’s career includes two terms as a judge on the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg before his 2009 election to lead Hungary’s Supreme Court. The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that his 2012 dismissal had violated his rights to a fair trial and freedom of expression; the Council of Europe subsequently stated that Hungary failed to fully implement this ruling.
Baka is expected to be elected by parliament on Tuesday, where Tisza maintains a constitutional majority. The opposition Fidesz party announced plans to boycott the vote, characterizing Tisza’s actions as authoritarian tactics, though Tisza denies these allegations. While Hungary’s presidency carries predominantly ceremonial functions with limited legislative veto or referral authority, the nomination carries significant symbolic weight.
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