Why did Katalin Novak resign?

Announcing her resignation on state television, Novak said, “I made a mistake … Today is the last day that I address you as a president. I made a decision to grant a pardon last April believing that the convict did not abuse the vulnerability of children whom he had overseen.”

“I made a mistake as the pardon and the lack of reasoning was suitable to trigger doubts over the zero tolerance that applies to pedophilia,” she added. Novak cut short an official visit to Qatar and returned to Budapest unexpectedly on Saturday.

Novak is a close ally of conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The revelation caused a public uproar and demands from the opposition for her along with former Justice Minister Judit Varga to quit. Hence, Varga also resigned as a lawmaker yesterday.

On Saturday, Judit Varga – who was expected to lead Fidesz’s list for the elections, and who also signed off on the pardon – said on Facebook she would step down as a Fidesz MP, taking responsibility for her decision, as per Reuters reports.

“I resign from public life, I resign my mandate as a lawmaker and also the top position on the European party list,” Varga said.

The scandal was a rare setback for Orban, who has been in power since 2010, and who faces European parliament elections just as the country emerges from an inflation crisis, Reuters reported.

For many years, Orban has fought to shield children from what he has called LGBTQ activists who prowl the country’s schools. This is just one of the many matters on which Orban and the European Commission have disagreed.

Earlier this week, Hungarian opposition parties had demanded Novak’s resignation over the case and on Friday a thousand demonstrators rallied at Novak’s office calling for her to quit.

Orban personally submitted a constitutional amendment to parliament late Thursday to contain the political damage. Some political analysts had interpreted that move as a clear message to Novak.

Katalin Novak, 46, issued the presidential pardon in April 2023, but it has only come to light in recent days.

After protests across the country, Ms Novak said on Saturday: “I issued a pardon that caused bewilderment and unrest for many people. I made a mistake.”

Ms Novak is a key ally of Hungary‘s right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban.

She was the first woman to become president when she assumed the role in 2022 – and the youngest person in the country’s history.

The convict in the case was sentenced to more than three years in prison in 2018 after he pressured victims of the director of the children’s home into silence.

The head of the organisation was jailed for eight years for abusing at least 10 children between 2004 and 2016.

The scandal also implicated the former justice minister Judit Varga, who endorsed the president’s decision at the time.

In a Facebok post on Saturday, Ms Varga said she would also step down – and “retire from public life, resigning my seat as a member of parliament and also as leader of the EP list”.

Ms Novak’s Fidesz party, which has been in power since 2010, is facing turmoil as leader Mr Orban fends off allegations of electoral rigging and media censorship.

She has been a strong supporter of his and has been a vocal advocate of “traditional family values” and the protection of children.

Her statement added: “Based on the request for clemency and the information available, I decided in April last year in favour of clemency in the belief that the convict did not abuse the vulnerability of the children entrusted to him.

“I made a mistake, because the decision to pardon and the lack of justification were apt to raise doubts about zero tolerance for paedophilia. But here, there is not and nor can there be any doubt.”