Hungarian President Novak Resigns Amid Sex Abuse Case Pardon, Reports Reuters

By Krisztina Than and Boldizsar Gyori

BUDAPEST – Hungarian President Katalin Novak announced her resignation on Saturday following intense pressure after she pardoned a man convicted of assisting in the cover-up of sexual abuse in a children’s home.

Novak, a key ally of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban, stepped down just a week after local media highlighted her controversial decision. The pardon ignited public outrage and led to calls for her resignation, as well as that of former Justice Minister Judit Varga. Varga, a rising figure in Orban’s ruling Fidesz party, also resigned as a lawmaker on Saturday.

This incident marks a rare challenge for Orban, who has held power since 2010 and is now facing European Parliament elections amid recovery from an inflation crisis. Orban has consistently campaigned on protecting children from what he describes as threats posed by LGBTQ activists in schools, which has put him at odds with the European Commission on various issues.

In a televised address, Novak, whose presidential role is largely ceremonial, admitted her mistake. She announced her resignation after abruptly returning to Budapest from an official visit to Qatar.

"I made a decision to grant a pardon last April believing that the convict did not take advantage of the children’s vulnerability under his care. I made a mistake, as the pardon, and my lack of reasoning, raised doubts about our zero tolerance policy towards child abuse," she stated.

In response to the growing backlash, opposition parties had been vocal in their demands for her resignation this week, and a thousand demonstrators gathered at her office calling for her to step down.

To mitigate the political fallout, Orban presented a constitutional amendment to parliament late Thursday that would remove the president’s authority to pardon individuals convicted of crimes against children. Many political analysts viewed this as a clear message directed at Novak.

On Saturday, Varga, who was anticipated to lead Fidesz’s list in the upcoming elections and also approved the pardon, announced her resignation from public life on social media. "I resign from public life, I relinquish my mandate as a lawmaker, and also my position on the European party list," she stated.

Mate Kocsis, head of Fidesz’s parliamentary group, stated that Novak and Varga made "responsible" decisions that the party would respect.

Despite Fidesz leading in opinion polls ahead of the June elections, approximately one-third of voters remain undecided.