Key facts
- Hungary's parliament amended the constitution to remove President Tamás Sulyok.
- Prime Minister Péter Magyar aims to dismantle the political legacy of his predecessor, Viktor Orbán.
- President Sulyok argues the move is unconstitutional and a threat to democracy.
- Fidesz, the party that appointed Sulyok, has protested the attempt to remove him.
- Sulyok has five days to sign the amendment; if he refuses, impeachment proceedings will commence.
The Hungarian parliament has amended the constitution in an effort to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office, a move spearheaded by Prime Minister Péter Magyar as part of his plan to overhaul the country's political system and dismantle the legacy of his predecessor, Viktor Orbán. Magyar, whose Tisza Party secured a landslide victory in April's election, has accused Sulyok of being a puppet of Orbán and failing to uphold the rule of law, particularly in defending opposition activists allegedly targeted by secret services.
Sulyok, however, has rejected the attempt to oust him, arguing that parliament has no constitutional grounds to shorten his mandate and warning that the action threatens democracy and could plunge Hungary into a constitutional crisis. Legal experts have raised concerns about the process, suggesting that the Constitutional Court, which has a Fidesz-appointed majority, might find Sulyok violated the constitution but not to a degree warranting removal, or that the process for temporary replacement is legally questionable.
The party that appointed Sulyok, Fidesz, has condemned the move as a step towards tyranny and called for resistance. Orbán himself urged Hungarians to resist the 'forced' ousting. The governing Tisza Party maintains that removing Sulyok was a key election pledge supported by a majority of voters, viewing him as a symbol of the Orbán regime. The European Commission is monitoring the developments, with some Members of the European Parliament calling for urgent attention. Sulyok has also requested an opinion from the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe's constitutional advisory body.