Baka was nominated by the governing Tisza parliamentary group and elected in a secret ballot with 140 votes in favor and six against. Opposition Fidesz and the Christian Democrats (KDNP) did not take part in the vote.

In accordance with the 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law, his term will last until a new constitution enters into force, but for no longer than five years.

Parliament elected a new president after the 17th amendment ended Tamás Sulyok’s term as head of state at midnight on July 20. His presidential powers were temporarily assumed by Parliamentary Speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar had called on Sulyok, along with several other senior state officials appointed under the previous Orbán government, to step down on the night of the April 12 election, when Tisza won a two-thirds majority and defeated the Fidesz-KDNP coalition, which had governed since 2010.

Magyar repeated the call several times and set a May 31 deadline for Sulyok’s resignation, saying that if he did not step down, the new majority would use its powers to remove him from office. Sulyok did not comply.

On June 1, Magyar, accompanied by the justice minister, visited the president and subsequently announced that the Fundamental Law would be amended if Sulyok refused to resign.

The government submitted the proposed 17th amendment on July 4. It stipulated that the incumbent president’s term would end the day after the amendment entered into force and that Parliament would elect a successor to serve until a new constitution comes into force, for a maximum of five years.

Fidesz and KDNP protested against the amendment and organized a demonstration at Sándor Palace on July 9 against what they described as the “establishment of an authoritarian regime” and the removal of the head of state.

Parliament adopted the amendment on July 13. Five days later, Sulyok said he would sign it while expressing serious objections, describing the measure as a grave and shameful historical example of the abuse of political power.

The Tisza parliamentary group nominated Baka on Aug. 8. Opposition party Our Homeland proposed energy lawyer Máté Tóth for the presidency, but its six-member parliamentary group failed to collect the 40 MP signatures required for a valid nomination.

Fidesz and KDNP declined to participate in the presidential vote, saying they considered Sulyok’s removal illegitimate. The two parties also challenged the 17th amendment before the Constitutional Court, but the court rejected the petition on Aug. 17 on jurisdictional grounds.

Marking Baka’s first day in office, Magyar wished the new president success, good health and “as much humanity as possible” in his work in a Facebook post on Wednesday.