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Radio France Internationale
Radio France Internationale
World
RFI

Hungary elects Orban critic Andras Baka as first president in new political era

President-elect and former Supreme Court president Andras Baka delivers a speech after being elected President of the Republic during the extraordinary plenary session of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026.
President-elect and former Supreme Court president Andras Baka delivers a speech after being elected President of the Republic during the extraordinary plenary session of the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026. Szilard Koszticsak/MTI via AP - Szilard Koszticsak

Hungarian lawmakers on Tuesday approved former supreme court chief Andras Baka – a prominent critic of Viktor Orban who was ousted during the ex-premier's time in power – as the country's next head of state.

The post became vacant following the contested removal last month of the previous president, an Orban ally, as pro-EU conservative Prime Minister Peter Magyar moves to dismantle his predecessor's lingering influence over state institutions.

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