Revealing the Pardon List Causes Uproar... Youngest Hungarian President Eventually Resigns

The Hungarian president, who sparked controversy by pardoning a man convicted as an accomplice in concealing child sex crimes, has ultimately resigned.

AP News and BBC reported that Katalin Nov?k (46), the Hungarian president, officially announced her resignation in a speech broadcast on state television on the 10th (local time).

President Nov?k pardoned 25 people last year on April 25, ahead of Pope Francis's visit, but controversy arose recently when the list of pardoned individuals was made public through the media. This included Mr. A, a daycare deputy director who was convicted for aiding in the concealment of child sex crimes.

Mr. A was sentenced to 3 years and 4 months in prison in 2018 for pressuring victims of the daycare center director?who was sentenced to 8 years for sexually abusing at least 10 children between 2004 and 2016?to withdraw their testimonies.

Official resignation announcement by Katalin Novak, President of Hungary [Image source=AFP Yonhap News]

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President Nov?k was elected president in March 2022. In Hungary's parliamentary system, the president holds a symbolic position while the prime minister holds actual power, but she became the first female president and the youngest president in history.

However, as this controversy escalated into a political scandal, the ruling conservative right-wing Fidesz party, which emphasizes tradition, family, and Christian values, also suffered a blow. Before being elected president, Nov?k served as the party's vice president and minister of family affairs.

In response, Prime Minister Viktor Orb?n submitted a constitutional amendment to the National Assembly on the 8th to prohibit pardons for sex offenders against children. Experts interpreted this as a move to minimize political fallout while sending a clear message to President Nov?k.

Ultimately, President Nov?k canceled the remainder of her schedule during a visit to Qatar and returned home urgently, announcing her resignation that evening. On the day of her resignation announcement, around 200 people protested in front of the presidential office in Budapest, demanding her resignation.

In her TV speech, President Nov?k admitted, “It was my mistake to carry out pardons lacking legitimacy, causing embarrassment and anxiety to many.” She continued, “I apologize to those who were hurt and to the victims who felt I did not stand by their side.”

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