Hungary: President Katalin Novak resigns after issuing a controversial pardon.

Hungarian President Katalin Novak has announced his resignation on Saturday February 10 after the anger caused in the Central European country by his decision to pardon a prisoner involved in the case of child crimes.

President Katalin Novak, who is close to Viktor Orban, resigned on Saturday after anger over her decision to pardon a prisoner involved in child crimes.

“I am resigning from my post,” this close friend of Prime Minister Viktor Orban announced during his official speech, admitting that he had made a “mistake.” In March 2022, she became the first woman to hold this prestigious post.

Around the same time, Judit Varga, another ally of the Prime Minister, has announced her “step down from her post” by giving her approval as Minister of Justice – a post she resigned this summer to lead the European campaign. A situation that was still unthinkable a few days ago.

The dispute was fueled by the pardon granted in April 2023, during the visit of the world leader of the Catholic Church Pope Francis in Budapest, to the former deputy director of the Children’s House, who was sentenced in 2022 to more than three years in prison for concealing the actions of the principal his.

Since the revelation by investigative website 444 last week of this decision, the opposition has called for the departure of the two women and anger has been growing in the country. On Friday evening, protesters gathered in front of the presidential palace and three of the president’s advisers resigned from their positions.

Return home quickly!

Faced with the scandal, Katalin Novak, who was in Qatar to attend the match between Hungary and Kazakhstan at the World Water Polo Championship, hurried back to Budapest.

As soon as his plane landed, he announced that he was resigning from his post, admitting that he had made a “mistake”. “The apology given, and the lack of explanation may raise doubts about intolerance in children’s matters. But there is no doubt about this issue,” emphasized the 46-year-old manager, before presenting his “sorry” to those he may have hurt.