2010 Hungarian presidential election
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
An indirect presidential election was held in Hungary on 29 June 2010.[1] Incumbent President László Sólyom was eligible for a second term, but none of those parties who had enough MPs to respectively do so nominated him again. Incumbent Speaker of the National Assembly Pál Schmitt was elected with two-third majority.
 | ||||||||||||||||||||
29 June 2010
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Needed to win: Two-thirds of all members of the National Assembly (first ballot)386 MPs, 257 votes needed to win | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||
.jpg)
Background
Following the 2010 Hungarian parliamentary election, Fidesz came out with an overwhelming majority of seats. With a two-thirds majority requirement needed to elect the president, Fidesz was expected to win since it already had the necessary numbers.
Candidates
Nominations were due by midday of 25 June 2010; the Hungarian Socialist Party nominated university lecturer and Hungarian ambassador to Thailand András Balogh on 6 June 2010.[2][3] Fidesz and Christian Democratic People's Party nominated National Assembly Speaker Pál Schmitt on 23 June 2010. Jobbik intended to nominate Krisztina Morvai, and Politics Can Be Different wished to nominate incumbent President László Sólyom, but neither had enough MPs to respectively do so.[4][5][6]
Popular poll
Most Hungarians said they didn't think the President should be a member of any party. 48% of respondents said that the president's independence from the government is among the most important considerations for the office, though 46% said it is also important that the president be able to work well with the prime minister.[citation needed]
However, polling suggested that should the election be a popular one, Schmitt would get 32% of the vote, Sólyom would get 24%, Balogh would get 14% and Morvai would get 6%. The remaining 24% said they would not vote for any of the candidates or declined to answer the question.[7]
Results
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pál Schmitt | Fidesz | 263 | 81.68 | |
| András Balogh | Hungarian Socialist Party | 59 | 18.32 | |
| Total | 322 | 100.00 | ||
| Valid votes | 322 | 87.98 | ||
| Invalid/blank votes | 44 | 12.02 | ||
| Total votes | 366 | 100.00 | ||
| Registered voters/turnout | 386 | 94.82 | ||
| Source: Politics.hu[8] | ||||
Reactions
Several Fidesz MP's expressed concern over the electoral outcome, saying that though Schmitt was "a charmer and very capable person," they didn't feel he was right for the job because any mistake he may make would reflect poorly on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who had selected him.[9]
The President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek welcomed the election of Schmitt.[10]