Máté Kocsis, the parliamentary group leader of Fidesz, said that once Katalin Novák signs her resignation, MPs have 15 days to decide whether to accept it or not, adding that this decision could be taken on Feb 26, the first day of the spring session.
Kocsis said that were parliament to accept her resignation — which he said he had no serious doubt they would do — then the new head of state must be elected within thirty days, so Hungary would have a new president in March. Meanwhile, the Fidesz group leader said Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s proposal to change the constitution with a view to obviating the right to a presidential pardon in cases involving child abuse was “a child protection measure”. Kocsis said it was strange that the left wing was vehement in wanting the head of state gone, but had failed to vote for any child protection amendments previously. Nevertheless, he said it was likely that the left wing would now vote for Orbán’s amendment, “though I wouldn’t rule out the opposite either”. Also, the second package of the child protection law will be submitted to lawmakers in the spring, he noted.