The President of Hungary, Katalin Novak, announced her resignation live on television. The decision came in the wake of a growing controversy surrounding her decision to pardon a man convicted of covering up a child sexual abuse case.
Last week, it was revealed that President Novak had granted clemency to a man who had been imprisoned for coercing children to retract sexual abuse allegations against a director of a state-run children’s home. This revelation led to escalating protests across Hungary, calling for her resignation.
An Apology and Resignation
In response to the public outcry, Ms. Novak issued an apology, acknowledging her “mistake” in granting the pardon. The controversy also led to the resignation of Judit Varga, the former Minister of Justice who had approved the pardon. Varga has since stepped down from her new role leading the European elections campaign for Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz party.
The controversy, which led to the resignations, was triggered when the names of 25 individuals pardoned by Ms. Novak in April of the previous year were made public by Hungarian media. Among the pardoned was the deputy director of an orphanage near Budapest, who had been sentenced to three years in prison for forcing children to retract abuse claims against the home’s director.
Ms. Novak, a key ally of Prime Minister Orban and a rare female politician in a male-dominated country, was a popular figure within the Fidesz party. In 2022, she made history by becoming the first woman to hold the largely ceremonial role of Hungarian President.
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