Hungary s conservative President Katalin Novak resigned amid public outrage over a controversial pardon she granted to a man convicted in a child sexual abuse case. Novak s decision to step down came after widespread criticism and protests following revelations of the pardon issued in April 2023. The move sparked an unprecedented political scandal for the long-standing nationalist government led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban s Fidesz party. Novak, a key ally of Orban, acknowledged her mistake and apologized, becoming the first female president in Hungary s history to resign from office.