Hungary’s President Katalin Novak has resigned following immense pressure from a decision to pardon a man convicted of helping to cover up sexual abuse in a children’s home.
Who is KATALIN NOVAK ?
Katalin Novak is a Hungarian politician was the president of Hungary from May 10 2022 until her resignation on February 10, 2024.
Elected at the age of 44, she was the first woman and youngest person ever to hold the post.
Prior to her presidency, she had been a member of the National Assembly for Fidesz from 2018 to 2022, during which time she had also served as Minister for Family Affairs in the fourth Orbán government, from 2020 to 2021.
“I am resigning my post,” said 46-year-old Katalin Novak, acknowledging that she had made a mistake. “I apologise to those who I hurt and all the victims who may have had the impression that I did not support them,” Katalin Novak added.
What’s the sexual abuse scandal?
A massive controversy erupted after was revealed last week that President Katalin Novak had given clemency to a man jailed for forcing children to retract sexual abuse claims against a director of a state-run children’s home. Katalin Novak resigned after her presidential pardon was first reported. He had helped to cover up his boss’s sexual abuse of the children in their charge.
The revelation caused a public uproar and demands from the opposition for her and former justice minister Judit Varga who approved the pardon, to quit.
Judit Varga, who has been a rising star in Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz party, resigned as a lawmaker on Saturday.
The scandal was a rare setback for Viktor Orban, who has been in power since 2010, and who faces European parliament elections just as the country emerges from an inflation crisis.Viktor Orban has for years campaigned to protect children from what he has described as LGBTQ activists roaming the nation’s schools.
This has been one of several issues over which Viktor Orban has clashed with the European Commission.Since news revealed the decision last week, the opposition had been calling for Katalin Novak’s resignation.