Hungary witnessed a political earthquake on Saturday with the resignation of President Katalin Novak, a close ally of nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The resignation came in the wake of public outrage over Novak’s decision to grant a pardon to an individual involved in child sexual abuse.
Almost simultaneously, another Orban ally, Judit Varga, announced her withdrawal from public life for endorsing the pardon during her tenure as the Minister of Justice. Varga, who had left her ministerial position to lead the ruling party’s list in the upcoming European Parliament elections, declared her departure in response to the controversy.
The scandal erupted after Novak granted a pardon in April 2023, during Pope Francis’s visit to Budapest, to a former deputy director of a juvenile home. The individual had been convicted in 2022 for covering up sexual abuses committed by the director against children and adolescents in the institution.
The opposition in the EU member country has been calling for Novak’s resignation since independent news portal 444 revealed the controversial pardon last week. Protesters gathered outside the presidential palace on Friday night, and three presidential advisers resigned in response to the unfolding scandal.
Novak, who was in Qatar to attend a water polo match between Hungary and Kazakhstan, cut short her trip and returned to Budapest amid the growing crisis. Upon landing, she announced her resignation, acknowledging her mistake and expressing regret for any harm caused.
“The granted pardon and the lack of explanations may have raised doubts about a zero-tolerance policy towards pedophilia. But there can be no doubts on this matter,” emphasized the 46-year-old politician.
Novak extended apologies to those she might have harmed and “to all the victims who may have felt that they were not supported.” The former Minister of Family Affairs became Hungary’s first female president in 2022, primarily serving a ceremonial role.
The rapid succession of resignations from high-profile officials sparked reactions, suggesting Orban’s influence. Opposition figures called for Orban to assume responsibility and provide an explanation, alleging that no major decisions are made in Hungary without his approval.
Attempting to address public outrage, Orban announced on Thursday his intention to review the constitution to exclude the possibility of pardoning pedophiles.
Katalin Novak, temporarily replaced by Parliament Speaker Laszlo Kover, was named the most influential woman in Hungarian public life by Forbes last year. Her resignation further diminishes the presence of women in Hungarian politics, as there has been no woman in Orban’s cabinet since mid-2023, leaving a landscape dominated by 16 male ministers.