Hungarian President Signs Law Leading to His Dismissal This Monday

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok announced on Saturday, July 19, 2026, that he has signed a constitutional reform that will lead to the end of his presidential term on the following Monday. Despite his personal reservations, calling the amendment "a historical example of abuse of political power," Sulyok stated he was fulfilling his obligation under the Fundamental Law. His signature marks the definitive end of his duties as president.

Parliament President Ágnes Forsthoffer will temporarily assume presidential duties until a new head of state is appointed within a maximum of 30 days. This development follows the victory of Prime Minister Péter Magyar's conservative party in the April legislative elections, ending 16 years of rule by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Magyar had pledged to dismantle the "Orbán system," which included removing the president and other high-ranking officials.

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After careful consideration of my legal possibilities and my conscience, I fulfill my obligation according to the Fundamental Law. My signature is the definitive seal of my obligations as President of the Republic.

To remove the president, the constitution needed amendment. The reform package, approved the previous Monday, included a five-day window for the president to sign it or refer it to the Constitutional Court. Magyar had previously threatened Sulyok with impeachment if he refused to sign. The new reform also sets a maximum age of 70 for Constitutional Court judges, which will result in the dismissal of four magistrates, including the court's president, Péter Polt, an ally of Orbán.

Magyar expressed his satisfaction that this "last obstacle" to the constitutional reforms has been overcome. He stated that these changes return to the Hungarian people the certainty that power has limits, public assets can be recovered, and the state can once again serve its citizens. Orbán, meanwhile, commented on the reform's enactment.

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With these decisions, we are returning to the Hungarian people something that the Orbán regime tried to take away from them for many years: the certainty that power has limits, that public assets can be recovered, and that the state can once again serve its citizens, the free Hungarian citizens.