President Katalin Novak resigns after pardoning convicted child abuser

The indignation was too great. Hungarian President Katalin Novak announced her resignation on Saturday, February 10, in the face of the anger caused in Hungary by her decision to pardon a convict involved in a child crime case.

“I am giving up my position”declared during a solemn speech this close friend of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who declares having committed “a mistake”. The controversy was provoked by revelations from the independent media 444 : among the people pardoned by the president on the occasion of Pope Francis’ visit to Budapest in April 2023, was the former deputy director of a children’s home, sentenced in 2022 to more than three years in prison for having covered up the actions of his superior.

An essentially ceremonial role

Since this revelation, the opposition has called for the president’s departure and anger has been growing in the country. “I apologize to those I hurt and to any victims who may have felt like I did not support them. I am, was, and will remain in favor of protecting children and families”added this former minister of family policy, aged 46.

In March 2022, Katalin Novak became the first woman to occupy this essentially ceremonial position. A few minutes after his speech, another ally of Viktor Orban, Judit Varga, also announced his “withdrawal from public life” for having given her endorsement as Minister of Justice – a position she left this summer to lead the European campaign.