Hungary’s first female president, Katalin Novak, resigned on Saturday after coming under mounting pressure for pardoning a man convicted as an accomplice for helping to cover up a sex abuse case in a children’s home.
Novak’s resignation comes after weeks of public protests and calls for her to step down.
The pardon she granted was for Istvan Miklos, who was convicted in 2016 of helping to cover up sexual abuse at a children’s home in Tatarszentgyorgy.
Miklos was sentenced to three years in prison, but he was released after serving only two months.
Novak’s decision to pardon Miklos was met with widespread condemnation. Many people saw it as an attempt to protect those in power, and as a sign that the government was not taking child sexual abuse seriously.
Novak defended her decision, saying that she believed Miklos had been wrongly convicted. However, her explanation did little to quell the anger of the public.
The protests against Novak became increasingly larger and more vocal. On Friday, thousands of people gathered outside the presidential palace in Budapest, demanding her resignation.
Novak announced her resignation in a televised address on Saturday.
She said that she was stepping down in order to “avoid further damage” to the country.
“I have decided to resign from the office of president,” Novak said. “I know that this decision will be met with mixed feelings, but I believe it is the best course of action for the country.”
Novak’s resignation is a major setback for Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is a close ally of hers. Orban has been accused of being increasingly authoritarian, and Novak’s resignation could further damage his reputation.
It is not yet clear who will succeed Novak as president. The speaker of the Hungarian parliament, Laszlo Köver, will take over as acting president until a new president is elected.
In December 2023, Novak condemned wanton killings in Nigeria’s Plateau State.