In brief
The Hungarian constitution was altered to force President Tamás Sulyok to resign, a move that has been hailed by some as a necessary correction but condemned by others as a coup. Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s coalition achieved a decisive vote that also dissolved the Constitutional Court’s head and banned long‑tenured MPs from re‑election, aiming to purge rivals from former long‑rule Fidesz. Orbán, the former prime minister who left office in April, denounced the amendment as tyrannical and called for protests. The resignation marks a turning point in Hungary’s political trajectory, as the country grapples with the balance between democratic safeguards and dominating parties.
President Tamás Sulyok has agreed to step down, signing an amendment to the country’s constitution that will end his presidency at midnight on Sunday.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s Tisza coalition had pushed through the amendment in parliament, viewing Sulyok as a loyalist of the former prime minister Viktor Orbán who was ousted last April. The change was presented as a response to a “serious loss of confidence” in the president and included provisions to remove the head of the Constitutional Court and to ban MPs who had served three terms from standing again – a tactic aimed at overhauling the existing political landscape dominated by former Fidesz members.
Sulyok had only five days to sign the amendment or face a protracted constitutional crisis with potential impeachment proceedings. After the deadline, he confirmed he would agree to the law change but pronounced his resignation a betrayal of Hungary’s rule‑of‑law principles. He described the amendment as “a breaking point in Hungarian constitutional democracy” and accused the administration of trampling core values of free society for political power.
The amendment— its 17th chapter—was passed with an overwhelming majority on Monday. It marks one of the most dramatic moves by Magyar’s government, which has attempted to reshape state institutions since winning a landslide victory in April. The new measures come amid criticism from Orbán and his supporters, who have called for protests and labeled the legislation as a form of tyranny.
During the vote, the 141 Tisza deputies in parliament gave a standing ovation. Former head of Hungary’s Supreme Court András Baka commented that he partly appreciated the removal of the president, citing the erosion of independence of state institutions since 2010.
