2012 Hungarian presidential election

After the vote, Áder said that he would "avail himself fully of both his constitutional rights and obligations" and that he "say[s] to the people of the neighbouring countries, and to our allies in the European Union and NATO, we offer them friendship and respect - which also means that we expect the same respect and friendship back".[17] He also added that the new Constitution, which he helped draft, "provides from all aspects an adequate direction and framework to find the right solutions to the fundamental issues and challenges of the 21st century...[15] Let me reach out to believers and to non-believers alike, and ask them to see in each other what unites us, as understanding one another will enrich us all". Prime Minister Viktor Orbán added that the best decision for "setting in motion and stabilising" the constitution was made as Áder was an "anchor". "We know the President, we respect him and think highly of him". Jobbik's deputy leader Zoltán Balczó said that Áder should be above "party identity" and that the party had hoped "national cooperation", as announced by Fidesz-KDNP, meant a non-partisan candidate should have been chosen. For its part, the Democratic Coalition's Ágnes Vadai said that Áder was not trustworthy enough to safeguard the democratic nature of the state.[16] LMP's Benedek Jávor also said that Áder should start a constitutional review of electoral and justice laws.[18]

Academic reactions to the result included Attila Juhász, of the think tank Political Capital, who said: "You should not expect Áder to become a power check and resist the Prime Minister, that's not what you can read from his career. It's also important that the president elected now will be in office until 2017, and the office will be held by someone from the innermost circles of Fidesz even if the party loses the 2014 parliamentary elections".[15] Ferenc Kumin of the Századvég Foundation, said that Áder was presented as representative of the plurality of groups within the country in opposition to the criticism levelled against him of his closeness to the "political right" and that his first speech to Parliament was "convincing proof" of his readiness for the "high position and the magnitude of his job with due humility". Gábor Filippov of the Hungarian Progressive Institute said that Áder will be to show that he is not bound by his previous Fidesz-associations as he took the duties of President from a non-partisan approach.[19]