Although largely a ceremonial role as most political power rests with Parliament and the government led by the prime minister, proposals are being discussed to elect the president by popular vote and grant him wider powers.

Solyom first became known for his environmentalist activities in the mid-1980s. He took part in negotiations in the late 1980s between the opposition, civic groups and the ruling Communist Party that set the conditions for Hungary's return to democracy. He was a founding member of the center-right Hungarian Democratic Forum, which won the first free elections in 1990, although he had abandoned party politics upon his nomination to the Constitutional Court in 1989.

The Japan Times: Aug. 13, 2005
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