Opposition parties view presidential nominee as ‘party stalwart’

The Democratic Coalition said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán “has chosen yet another Fidesz party soldier for their candidate for head of state”, and it demanded a direct presidential election.

Jobbik also urged a direct presidential election, saying: “Orbán should not decide on the nomination for president all by himself.” “The country calls for a president elected by the people … who embodies the unity of the nation and represents all Hungarians,” Jobbik said in a statement.

Laszlo Toroczkai, leader of the Mi Hazank Movement, said on social media platform X that “Sulyok is a party soldier and not suited to restore unravelled national unity”, adding that his party proposed economist Magdolna Csath for the post.

LMP said they preferred legal expert Peter Hack to Sulyok.

The Socialist Party said Sulyok would be “another servant of an authoritarian regime” and insisted that as head of the top court, Sulyok “in fact served the Orbán government in every case”.

Parbeszed said on Facebook: “It doesn’t matter who the president of the republic is in a system which is not only fully corrupt but which will pardon paedophile criminals.” Parbeszed proposes lawyer Jeno Kaltenbach for the post.

Momentum said they would not participate in “Fidesz’s parliamentary circus in which Orbán’s next pen is selected.”