Hungary’s Tisza picks Andras Baka for president vote on Aug. 11
Why it matters: The move advances Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s push to dismantle Viktor Orban’s power network after April’s landslide election.
Hungary’s ruling Tisza party nominated former Supreme Court head Andras Baka to become president, with parliament expected to elect him on Aug. 11. The presidency is largely ceremonial, but the choice carries political weight as Prime Minister Peter Magyar works to unwind the institutional influence built by predecessor Viktor Orban over 16 years in power. Baka, a former judge at the European Court of Human Rights, was removed as chief justice in 2011 before his term ended. In 2014, the Strasbourg court ruled Hungary violated his rights and said his removal harmed democratic freedoms. Opposition party Fidesz said it would boycott the presidential election process and accused Tisza of acting authoritarian.