The minor party of the coalition government (SZDSZ) did not support the superior coalition government party's (MSZP) candidate, therefore Mr. Sólyom could win as an opposition candidate.
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The green liberal, social progressivist Politics Can Be Different (4.1% of seats, 7.5% of votes) was also newcomer, while the liberal conservative formerly parliamentary Hungarian Democratic Forum (2.7% of votes) could not achieve the 5% threshold, and the formerly parliamentary (and also member of the coalition government before 2009) Alliance of Free Democrats was not able to run on the election because of the large decrease of popularity.
In 1988 he was the founder member of the Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ), his name was on the ballots in the following elections of 1990.
Between 1981 and 1985 he co-edited Beszélő, the illegal paper of the Democratic Opposition, and became involved in their anti-regime activities; he was a member of SZETA (Fund for the Support of the Poor, an illegal NGO that drew governmental attention by advocating the mere existence of poverty) from which a liberal party, SZDSZ was formed in 1988.
The verdict concerned statements made about SZDSZ politician Imre Mécs and was followed by international protest and condemnation.
Another reason for the failed nomination was that SZDSZ was not consulted ahead of time and Szili lacked qualifications compared to Sólyom who previously held high office as the president of the Constitutional Court of Hungary.
In Autumn 2007, the liberal Alliance of Free Democrats (SZDSZ), part of the governing coalition since the 2002 elections, presented a draft bill to the Parliament's Human Rights committee.