Hungary’s ruling Tisza party, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, has officially selected its candidate for the country’s presidency. The choice is lawyer and former Supreme Court President András Baka.
Magyar announced the decision on 8 August, noting that the party’s parliamentary group reached it after internal discussions. According to the prime minister, Hungary now particularly needs a head of state with substantial professional experience in constitutional law and the judicial system. Such a specialist, in his view, will help return the country to the path of the rule of law and strengthen constitutional principles after a prolonged period during which, according to the new authorities, these principles had been eroded.
András Baka has already agreed to stand as a candidate. The vote in the National Assembly, which elects the president, is scheduled for 11 August. Given that Tisza holds 141 of the 199 seats in parliament and possesses a constitutional majority, Baka’s election is considered virtually guaranteed. The new president is expected to take office in mid-August.
András Baka is one of Hungary’s most respected lawyers. From 1991 to 2008 he served as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg. In 2009 the parliament elected him President of the Supreme Court of Hungary for a six-year term. However, in 2012 his mandate was terminated early because of a constitutional reform carried out by Viktor Orbán’s government. The European Court of Human Rights later ruled that this decision violated Baka’s rights.
The nomination of Baka carries symbolic weight: the new Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose party won a decisive victory over Fidesz in April 2026 and ended Orbán’s 16-year rule, has consistently stated his intention to restore the independence of the judiciary and return the country to democratic standards.