Hungarian president Novak resigns over sex abuse case pardon

Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned on Saturday after facing pressure for pardoning a man implicated in covering up sexual abuse in a children’s home. Novak, a close ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, stepped down one week following the revelation of her presidential pardon. The disclosure sparked public outrage and calls for her resignation from opposition groups. Former Justice Minister Judit Varga, another prominent figure in Orban’s ruling Fidesz party, also resigned as a lawmaker. The scandal poses a rare setback for Orban as Hungary emerges from an economic crisis and faces European parliament elections.