Hungary President Katalin Novak announced her resignation after she made a mistake by issuing pardon last year for a man convicted of child abuse case. After this was made public, people made calls for her removal from power.
The president announced on TV and said that she “made a mistake” by issuing the pardon. Many protests happened outside Novak’s presidential palace in Budapest over the last one week.
Hungarian media reported that the pardoned man who served previously as deputy director of state-run children’s home was sentenced to over 3 years in prison in 2018 for the crime of hiding a sex abuse scandal under the former director.
Judit Varga, former justice minister, who supported Novak’s pardon also said that she would resign as a member of parliament and ‘retire from public life.’
Novak was the youngest person and the first woman to be elected as president in Hungary at age 44 in 2022.
On Thursday, Hungarian Prime Minister submitted an amendment of the constitution to bar the sitting president from issuing pardons to persons involved in crimes against children. Novak said that she will sign the amendment into law according to Politico.
Novak was elected as Hungarian president in 2022 after campaigning in support of family values.
Novák was elected Hungary’s president in 2022 after advocating for family values. She previously served as VP of Fidesz, Hungary’s ruling party and also worked as Hungary’s minister for families.
The Prime Minister is the head of government in Hungary. Hungarian media houses revealed Novak’s pardon. The man in question is reported to have molested numerous children between 2004 and 2016. The man is also reported to have forced some of the victims to retract their claims of sexual abuse.
The pardon led to protests across Hungary calling upon the president to resign.
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