Hungarian parliament approves constitutional change to oust president

Hungary's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment that paves the way for the removal of President Tamas Sulyok, a move initiated by Prime Minister Peter Magyar's new government. The amendment passed with a strong majority of 139 votes in favor and six against, although members of the Fidesz party, led by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban, boycotted the parliamentary session.

Prime Minister Magyar described Sulyok as a "puppet" of Orban and asserted that his center-right Tisza party, which secured a decisive victory in the April elections, has a mandate to restructure the state. He stated that failing to amend the constitution would be a "betrayal of the Hungarian nation." The new legislation mandates that if Sulyok does not sign the law within five days, parliament will initiate impeachment proceedings. The constitutional amendment also immediately ends the president's term and imposes a maximum of twelve years for parliamentary mandates, along with a 70-year age limit for constitutional judges.

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It would be a betrayal of the Hungarian nation if we did not amend this constitution.

In protest against the term limits for lawmakers, Fidesz faction leader Gergely Gulyas resigned. President Sulyok has refused to step down and has requested a legal assessment from the Council of Europe's Venice Commission. Sulyok has held the largely ceremonial office since earlier this year. Magyar's Tisza party holds a two-thirds majority in parliament, enabling it to amend the constitution unilaterally. The government's stated objective is to dismantle the power structures established during Orban's 16-year rule, with plans to draft an entirely new constitution in the autumn.

Critics view this constitutional amendment as setting a dangerous precedent. The amendment's provisions aim to reshape Hungary's political landscape by limiting the tenure of key officials and potentially altering the balance of power within the government. The swift passage of the amendment, despite the boycott by a significant parliamentary faction, highlights the current government's determination to implement its reform agenda.

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Sulyok is a puppet of Orban.