THE INSTITUTION OF THE PRESIDENT IN HUNGARY IN CONTEXT OF 2022 ELECTION

Abstract

In the spring of 2022, elections of the country’s President and the State Assembly were held in Hungary, as well as the process of forming a new government was launched. As in other parliamentary republics, the post of President in this situation seems rather ceremonial and not too significant, however, in the modern history of Hungary, the President has more than once played the role of the supreme arbiter and the real leader of the nation. This is due to the peculiarity of the Hungarian electoral system, when the term of office of the President is five years, and the State Assembly is 4 years, as a result of which the branches of government have repeatedly represented different political forces, allowing to resolve the main contradictions in the corridors of power without bringing discord to the streets. It also strengthened the democratic political system in the country, constantly reminding voters of freedom of choice, views, opinions. A special mark in the history of the country was left by the presidents of the first, most difficult years of transition, who had not only to cooperate with opponents from parliament. In their service, they managed to invest the creative potential, beliefs and principles achieved by some in writing, by others in science. The current President of Hungary, Katalin Novák, not yet possessing the above qualities, but being undoubtedly a comprehensively well-educated person, became the first woman in this post in Hungarian history, as well as the youngest president of the country. She expressed the main principles and tasks of her upcoming ministry at the highest state post in her ceremonial speech on May 14, focusing not only on long-term prospects, but also on the current international moment.