Recent allegations that President Pál Schmitt has plagiarised most if not all of his dissertation threaten to harm beyond repair a presidency that has been beset by difficulties to begin with. Plagiarism scandals are very unusual in Hungary, and unheard of in politics. Yet political scandals are frequent occurrences and result in resignations less often than in more established democracies. The foremost issue therefore is whether this scandal will be enough to force the resignation of Hungary’s highest official. Apart from the question of the fate of President Schmitt, however, the question is also whether the affair will have an effect on how plagiarism is handled more generally.

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