The Hungarian parliament on Aug. 11 elected Andras Baka, a former head of the country's Supreme Court and the nominee of the governing Tisza party, as the new president. Baka was elected as Hungary's president — largely a ceremonial position — after being nominated for the role by pro-European Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar's Tisza on Aug. 8. Then-ruling Fidesz removed Baka as Hungary's chief justice in 2011, a move that the ECHR ruled unlawful. "His career serves as an example of commitment to democratic rule of law and constitutional principles." Fidesz's 16-year rule has been marked by democratic backsliding, setting Orban on a collision course with the EU.