Key facts
- Hungary's Parliament voted to pass a constitutional amendment to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office.
- The amendment passed with 139 votes for and six against in the 199-member Parliament.
- The move by Prime Minister Péter Magyar aims to dismantle the political system of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
- The amendment includes judicial reforms and a 12-year term limit for lawmakers.
- Fidesz lawmakers boycotted the parliamentary session.
- Sulyok needs to sign the amendment within five days for it to become law.
Hungary’s Parliament voted Monday to pass a constitutional amendment to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office and enact political reforms aimed at dismantling the system of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The amendment, which passed with 139 votes for and six against in the 199-member Parliament, aims to restore "rule-of-law democracy." Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose Tisza party holds a two-thirds majority, stated the move signifies the end of an era and fulfills a mandate from voters to remove Sulyok, whom he described as a "puppet" of Orbán.
Magyar has argued that Sulyok failed to impede Orbán's antidemocratic actions. The amendment will end Sulyok's mandate, requiring Parliament to elect a new president. It also introduces judicial reforms and a 12-year term limit for lawmakers. Orbán's Fidesz party boycotted the session, calling the amendment an "unprecedented" assault on democracy. Orbán posted a message suggesting the end of the democratic period from 1990-2026.
While the presidency is largely ceremonial, the president signs legislation and can send bills to the Constitutional Court. Concerns exist that Sulyok could obstruct Magyar's plans. Since May, Magyar's government has been removing Orbán-era appointees, suspending public media news services, and shuttering the Sovereignty Protection Office, viewed by opponents as a tool for silencing dissent.