2010 Hungarian presidential election
# 2010 Hungarian presidential election

Politics of Hungary :

Constitution

1949 Constitution :

Executive

President (list)

Katalin Novák

Government

Current cabinet

Prime Minister (list)

Viktor Orbán :

Parliament

National Assembly

Speaker: László Kövér

Political parties

Fidesz

Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP)

Jobbik

Politics Can Be Different (LMP)

Dialogue for Hungary (PM)

Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP)

Democratic Coalition (DK)

Momentum Movement (M)

Everybody's Hungary Movement (MMM)

Our Homeland Movement (MH) :

Recent elections

Parliamentary: 201420182022

Presidential: 20172022next

Local: 201020142019

European: 201420192024 :

Budapest

Mayor of Budapest

Gergely Karácsony

Mayoral elections

1994

1998

2002

2006

2010

2014

2019 :

Administrative divisions

Districts

Counties

Regions

Subregions :

Foreign relations

Austria–Hungary relations

China–Hungary relations

France–Hungary relations

Germany–Hungary relations

Hungary–Italy relations

Hungary–Russia relations

Hungary–United Kingdom relations

Hungary–United States relations

Timeline of Hungary–European Union relations

Politics of the European Union :

Hungary portal

Other countries :

vte :

An indirect presidential election was held in Hungary on 29 June 2010. The Prime Minister's nominee Pál Schmitt was elected by an absolute majority.

## 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. Fidesz nominated speaker of parliament 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.

Once elected, the new president would take office on 5 August 2010.

## Popular poll

Most Hungarians said they didn't think the President should be a member of any party. Forty-eight percent of respondents said that the president's independence from the government is among the most important considerations for the office, though 46 percent said it is also important that the president be able to work well with the prime minister.

However, polling suggested that should the election be a popular one, Schmitt would get 32 percent of the vote, outgoing President László Sólyom would get 24 percent, Socialist Party nominee András Balogh would get 14 percent and Jobbik's Krisztina Morvai would get 6 percent. Twenty-four percent said they would not vote for any of the candidates or declined to answer the question.

## Results

Hungarian Presidential elections, 2010 :

| Candidate | Nominating Party | Votes | % |
| - | - | - | - |
| Pál Schmitt | Fidesz | 263 | 68.1 |
| András Balogh | Hungarian Socialist Party | 59 | 15.3 |
| Did not vote | Did not vote | 20 | 5.2 |
| Invalid votes | Invalid votes | 44 | 11.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | 366 | 94.8 |
| Total seats | Total seats | 386 | 100.00 |

* ↑ 20 MPs opted for not registering and did not pick up their ballots
* ↑ 44 empty ballots cast with neither candidate supported

## 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.

The President of the European Parliament Jerzy Buzek welcomed the election of Schmitt.

