The Hungarian parliament has elected 73-year-old András Baka as the nation's new president, a move that marks a definitive turn away from the legacy of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Baka, a former Supreme Court head, was elected by a vote of 140 to 6, while members of Orbán's Fidesz party staged a walkout in protest of the ousting of their preferred candidate, Tamás Sulyok. The new government, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, has moved with lightning speed since May, passing 27 laws and two constitutional amendments.
Among these changes is the abolition of the Sovereignty Protection Office and the creation of a new National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, which has been granted expansive powers to investigate officials from the previous administration.
The new regime has also moved to end states of emergency that allowed for governing by decree and has taken public media off-air for a total overhaul. While Baka claims he is not a political man, his presidency is tasked with overseeing the drafting of a new constitution to replace the 2011 document.
However, Baka has already signaled he may not be a rubber stamp for the current majority; he has publicly criticized the new term limits for MPs as an infringement on the rights of voters.
As Hungary enters this period of transition, the government's aggressive campaign of reversal continues to draw accusations of tyranny from the opposition, setting the stage for a volatile political future.
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