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Hungarian President Katalin Novák: She is resigning from her post because of her “mistake” (archive)
Photo: Gian Ehrenzeller / EPA
After strong pressure from the opposition and the government, Hungary's President Katalin Novák has announced her resignation. Hungarian state television showed a video on Saturday with a statement: "I made a mistake," said Novák, a confidant of right-wing nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in the recording broadcast by Hungarian state television.
The politician had pardoned a man who had been convicted of aiding and abetting the sexual abuse of minors. The case sparked widespread outrage in Hungary. Thousands of demonstrators in Budapest demanded Novák's resignation on Friday evening.
Orbán now wants to change the constitution so that such criminals can never be pardoned. In doing so, the Hungarian Prime Minister distanced himself from his previous political colleague for the first time.
Orbán government wants to portray itself as a child protector
Orban's government particularly wants to be seen as a protector of children from sexual violence. In 2021, she implemented a controversial “child protection law” that prohibits children from being educated about homosexuality in schools. Distributors of relevant publications are also obliged to make them inaccessible to minors. Critics say the spirit of this law equates homosexuality with pedophilia.
The man pardoned by Novák was the deputy director of a children's home in Bicske near Budapest. According to the court ruling, he forced children to recant their testimonies as victims of abuse against the home director in order to exonerate his boss. He had known about the acts of abuse for years. The home director was sentenced to eight years in prison. His pardoned deputy received a prison sentence of three years and four months.
The pardon had already taken place in April 2023, on the occasion of Pope Francis' visit to Budapest. But it only became known through media reports a week ago.
Shortly before her resignation, the head of state returned early from an official visit to the Gulf Emirate of Qatar to Budapest. She took office in 2022. Novák was the first woman to head Hungary. Heads of state play a subordinate political role in the country. They are elected by parliament, usually on the recommendation of the strongest party.
The Prime Minister suggested filling this position with Novák, who had previously been a leading politician from Orban's Fidesz party. Orban is likely to be satisfied with her resignation because Novák has not always represented government policy recently.
On several occasions she has been critical of Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, while Orbán maintains good relations with Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin. Novák also spoke out in favor of a quick ratification of Sweden's NATO accession by Hungary's parliament, which Orbán is delaying.
fok/AP/dpa/Reuters