Ex-Supreme Court head Andras Baka elected as Hungary's new president

Hungary's parliament elected former Supreme Court chief Andras Baka as the country's new president.

The 73-year-old was the sole candidate in the election and received 140 votes in a secret ballot.

He was nominated by the ruling Tisza party, which holds the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to elect the president without opposition support. Baka will officially take office next Thursday.

In his speech, Baka said his role as president would be to represent both majority and minority views, acknowledge political differences rather than imposing artificial unity, and safeguard constitutional checks and balances.

He said Hungary's relationships with several international allies have deteriorated in recent years, and rebuilding those partnerships should be an important priority of his presidency.

Baka served as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights from 1991 to 2008 before Hungary's parliament elected him president of the Supreme Court in 2009.

His six-year mandate as Supreme Court president was cut short at the end of 2011 following judicial reforms introduced under the government of then Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Tuesday's election came after former President Tamas Sulyok signed the country's 17th constitutional amendment late in July, triggering the end of his mandate as head of state.

The president of Hungary is elected by parliament for a five-year term, shouldering constitutional duties including signing legislation and representing the state. The president is also commander-in-chief of the Hungarian Armed Forces.