Who Should Elect the President in Hungary?
This is an old post. Information may be outdated.
Parliamentary democracy or a presidential system? Which one serves Hungary better?
Hungary has already had two presidents resign before the end of their term.
On January 18, 2012, Pál Schmitt was involved in a plagiarism scandal after it was revealed that a significant part of his doctoral dissertation was plagiarized. Following the scandal, an investigation was launched against Schmitt Pál by ELTE and the Scientific Qualification Committee (TMB).
On January 29, Schmitt Pál announced his resignation from the post of President. He cited the plagiarism scandal and political tensions as reasons for his resignation.
Reasons for the resignation:
Plagiarism scandal: A significant part of Pál Schmitt’s doctoral dissertation was found to be plagiarized. This is considered a serious ethical offense and questioned Schmitt Pál’s scientific competence.
Political tension: After the plagiarism scandal, protests were organized against Schmitt Pál, and the Fidesz-KDNP coalition also distanced itself from him. Due to political pressure, Schmitt Pál felt that his resignation was the best solution.
Consequences of the resignation:
The plagiarism scandal undermined trust in Hungarian higher education.
Following the scandal, the rules for evaluating doctoral dissertations were tightened.
On February 10, 2024, Katalin Novák, the President of the Republic of Hungary, announced her resignation.
Reasons for the resignation:
Katalin Novák cited family reasons as the reason for her resignation.
However, prior to the resignation, a serious political and social tension was caused by the disclosure of the details of a presidential pardon, in which a convict was pardoned who had facilitated the operation of a person sexually exploiting minors.
Political consequences of the resignation:
At the same time as Katalin Novák’s resignation, the former Minister of Justice and European list leader of the ruling party retired from politics.
The leader of the second largest Hungarian historical church was forced to resign from his position as head of the church, and he still holds the position of bishop.
The resignation and the circumstances leading to it have undermined public trust in presidential pardons.
Trust in churches has weakened, primarily due to the close ties between the largest Hungarian churches and politics.
Political parties that do not have a government mandate have launched a campaign for the direct election of the president, who is currently elected by the parliamentary majority.
Arguments for direct presidential election:
More democratic: In a direct election, voters can directly vote for the president, giving them more influence over who fills this important position.
Stronger legitimacy: A directly elected president has stronger legitimacy than one elected by parliament, as they enjoy the confidence of the voters.
More stable political system: A directly elected president can bring stability to the political system, as they do not depend on the parliamentary majority.
Less corruption: A directly elected president is less likely to be corrupt than one elected by parliament, as there is no need for parties to lobby for the position.
Arguments against direct presidential election:
Shared power: A directly elected president can share power with the prime minister, which can lead to conflicts.
Excessive concentration of power: A directly elected president may have too much power, which could endanger democracy.
More expensive electoral system:** Direct presidential elections are more expensive than those held by parliament.
Less compromise:** A directly elected president is less likely to compromise, which can make it difficult to legislate.
In Hungary, the powers of the President are regulated by the Fundamental Law.** A directly elected presidential system could only be justified if the president were empowered with stronger rights in the Fundamental Law. In this case, the parliamentary system would transform into a presidential system, and based on the current social and political development of Hungary, it cannot be clearly stated whether the presidential system would improve the functioning of democratic systems or would it show further autocratic features?