Hungary's plagiarising president Schmitt quits Apr 2nd 2012, 14:47 by A.L.B. | BUDAPEST

UNGARY'S most enthralling political drama since the riots of autumn 2006 is over. Pál Schmitt, the beleaguered president, resigned earlier today after days of mounting political pressure. Last week Semmelweis University stripped Mr Schmitt of his doctoral degree after a committee found that he had directly lifted 17 pages and had partially copied a further 180 pages of his 1992 thesis on the modern Olympic games.
Mr Schmitt initially refused to resign, saying that the affair had nothing to do with his role as president. But calls for him to quit filled the Hungarian media over the weekend, many of them from the right-wing media and influential conservative blogs. All four opposition parties called for the president to resign, although Viktor Orbán, the prime minister, said Mr Schmitt should make his own mind up.
In his resignation speech today Mr Schmitt told Hungary's parliament that he longer had the confidence of the nation:

Hungary's basic law, which I signed, says the head of state is a symbol of national unity. This to me means that in this situation, when my personal case divides rather than unites my beloved nation, I feel it is my duty to end my service and return my presidential mandate.

But Mr Schmitt's troubles may not be over. An Olympic fencing gold medallist, he is a member of the International Olympic Committee. Mark Adams, a spokesman for the committee, has told the Chicago Tribune that the IOC will ask to see documents related to Mr Schmitt's plagiarism case and then consider if any action needs to be taken against him.
Mr Schmitt will certainly be missed by Fidesz, Hungary's ruling right-wing party. The office of president, although mostly ceremonial, is also charged with overseeing legislation. Previous incumbents sometimes returned proposed laws to parliament, or sent them to the constitutional court for further consideration.
But Mr Schmitt, a former Fidesz MEP, let it be known that he would not raise difficulties for the government's tidal wave of controversial new legislation, earning himself the nickname "Mr Rubber Stamp". László Kövér, the parliamentary speaker, will temporarily take over Mr Schmitt's duties until parliament elects a successor.
Resignations in Hungarian public life are rare and Mr Schmitt is the first president to step down since the end of communism. Ironically, he may have given his greatest public service by showing that, even in Hungary, there are limits to what the public will tolerate from their politicians.(forrás:The Economist)