The Hungarian Parliament on Tuesday elected centre-right politician Pal Schmitt president, with an overwhelming majority of votes, DPA reported.
Schmitt, of the conservative Fidesz party, received 263 votes, more than the two-thirds majority officially needed.
Just 59 members of parliament voted for the socialist candidate Andras Balogh, the country's ambassador to Thailand.
The new president will take over from incumbent Laszlo Solyom on August 5, for a five-year term.