Hungary’s parliament is expected to approve a constitutional amendment on Monday, proposed by Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s government, that would remove President Tamas Sulyok from office. Magyar has described Sulyok as a “puppet” of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The move follows Magyar’s landslide election victory in April, which ended Orban’s 16-year rule. The amendment forms part of the new government’s broader effort to dismantle Orban’s power structures, a mission Magyar says voters strongly endorsed.
Although Hungary’s president has limited authority to block legislation or refer laws for review, the office remains an important national symbol.
Magyar’s ruling Tisza party holds a parliamentary supermajority, allowing it to amend the constitution and reverse changes introduced under Orban that it argues weakened democracy. As part of its reforms, the government last week suspended news broadcasts on public service television and radio while restructuring state media to ensure greater independence.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Magyar said parliament would approve the amendment on Monday to remove Sulyok. He added that if the president fails to sign the legislation within five days, impeachment proceedings would begin.
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Sulyok, who served for 10 years as a Constitutional Court judge before becoming president in 2024, has maintained that he has no political agenda. He has opposed the amendment and requested an assessment from the Venice Commission, an advisory body of the Council of Europe that evaluates whether constitutional reforms meet democratic standards. The commission has declined to comment.
Last Thursday, Orban’s Fidesz party staged a protest in support of Sulyok, although Orban himself did not attend.
Before the parliamentary vote, expected at 1300 CET, Magyar is scheduled to address lawmakers. The bill also proposes limiting lawmakers’ terms to 12 years and states that its objective is to ensure “the preconditions for the restoration of constitutional democracy.”
If passed, the amendment would immediately end Sulyok’s presidency, citing society’s “serious loss of confidence” in him. Parliament would then elect a new president to serve until a new constitution comes into force or for a maximum term of five years.
