President Katalin Novak of Hungary resigned in response to public outcry over the pardon of a man found guilty of child sex abuse.
Hungary’s first female president was Katalin Novak. She assumed office on March 10, 2022, and is a staunch ally of the conservative prime minister who is running for office in the elections for the European parliament.
On a scholarship, Ms. Novak finished her studies in Budapest and Paris. She works as an economist. The former president began working in the foreign ministry in 2001.
In Hungary, the President’s function is ceremonial, and he or she has the authority to pardon prisoners.
The scandal began when a former children’s home deputy director received a pardon from the president. He had participated in the cover-up of his boss’s sexual abuse of the kids under their supervision.
To mitigate the harm, the prime minister late on Thursday brought a constitutional change to parliament that would take away the president’s ability to pardon crimes against minors.
She overruled a contentious National Assembly law that was deemed to be discriminatory against LGBTQ individuals in April of last year.
The government of Prime Minister Orban has been suppressing LGBTQ rights for more than ten years.
