AN INNOVATIVE AND TRADITIONALIST PRESIDENT – Katalin Novák’s first 100 days in office

Katalin Novák was elected by the Parliament as the President of Hungary on 14 March 2022, and took office on 10 May. The Nézőpont Institute has overviewed the first 100 days of her presidency, examined the support behind her and attempted to provide an explanation for her popularity.

At the first five percent of the five-year presidential mandate, among those who know her, more than every second Hungarian (52 percent) believe that Katalin Novák is fulfilling her duties as the President of Hungary, and less than one in three (30 percent) think the opposite.

Katalin Novák’s high popularity can be attributed to two factors: her novelty and her respect for tradition. The novelty of the new President is unquestionable. Katalin Novák is young, she is a woman and raising children is a daily challenge for her. All three qualities make her unique among the previous Hungarian presidents, and in a certain sense, these qualities also supersede the clichés about presidency.

In its analysis, the Nézőpont Institute overviewed Katalin Novák’s tradition-following strategy. She does not follow all the traditions of her predecessors, but, from each former presidency, she has integrated a characteristic that defined the activities of the president and which can be highlighted as a positive aspect of the given presidential cycle. The analysis is available at this link.