Key Points
Budapest: Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned on Saturday after coming under mounting pressure for pardoning a man convicted of helping to cover up sexual abuse in a childrens home...
Novak, a close ally of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, resigned a week after her presidential pardon was first reported by local news site 444.hu...
The revelation caused a public uproar and demands from the opposition for her and former Justice Minister Judit Varga to quit..
This week, Hungarian opposition parties had demanded Novaks resignation over the case and on Friday a thousand demonstrators rallied at Novaks office calling for her to quit.. In a bid to contain the political damage, Orban personally submitted a constitutional amendment to parliament late on Thursday depriving the president of the right to pardon crimes committed against children..
On Saturday, Judit Varga who was expected to lead Fideszs list for the elections, and who also signed off on the pardon said on Facebook she would step down as a Fidesz MP, taking responsibility for her decision...
You might be interested in
Hungary president resigns over pardon to man convicted in child sexual abuse case
11, Feb, 24Hungary's conservative President Katalin Novak resigned amid public outrage over a controversial pardon she granted to a man convicted in a child sexual abuse case. Novak's decision to step down came after widespread criticism and protests following revelations of the pardon issued in April 2023. The move sparked an unprecedented political scandal for the long-standing nationalist government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party. Novak, a key ally of Orban, acknowledged her mistake and apologized, becoming the first female president in Hungary's history to resign from office.