In his State of the Nation address, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said President Katalin Novák’s resignation was “a great loss for Hungary” and thanked both Novák and former Justice Minister Judit Varga for their work. He added that the two had “more dignity in their little finger than in all of the leaders of the leftist parties put together.”
PM Orbán praised Novák as a “greatly respected, appreciated president working, moreover, fighting for her homeland, the Hungarian people and their families … seen by all as a person fit for her presidential position.” He referred to Novák as an “embodiment of the good characteristics of Hungarians, a kind and prepared mother, who sought not to prove her abilities against men and according to men’s measures.” Novák “demonstrated in her natural way that women’s way of thinking and feeling are indispensable in all walks of life including politics,” he added. Novák resigned because she pardoned a man sentenced for covering up a crime against children, and “the vast majority of Hungarians rejected that pardon”, Orbán said. “The president’s pardon impacted national unity and she could no longer restore that unity,” he added. “A toppled equilibrium can be restored, the high waves of indignation tamed, the nation reunited over issues around family and child protection only through the president’s resignation and electing a new president,” the prime minister said.
Concerning the former justice minister, Orbán said Judit Varga had countersigned the president’s pardon “following the constitutional custom and an unbroken practice of the past 25 years.” “Her departure is an unavoidable and, I think, unfair, consequence of the laws of the state,” he said. “Sometimes good people, even the best, will make bad decisions, and … if they could fly back in time they would certainly correct the mistake. But it is not possible and now it is up to the government … to restore moral order and offer legal remedy for the situation,” Orbán said. “Serving the nation also requires personal humility … you need to know that no matter how high up you are you can never be clever enough by yourself and there are no protected positions, even in the highest office one can make a mistake,” he said. “A political mistake is annoying, even if there is an explanation, but even more so when there is none,” he added. Hungary’s child protection system must be strengthened, from the constitution to the level of ministerial decree, the prime minister said. “The tribulations of the victims compel us”, Orbán said, adding that the leadership and oversight of children’s protection institutions as well as regulations and restrictions for the staff who work there would be strengthened. He said a new package of child protection legislation would be submitted to parliament. Orbán said electing a new president was an “urgent task” and asked the parliamentary group of governing Fidesz-KDNP to start the process of electing a replacement for Katalin Novák on the day she left office.