Hungarian President Sulyok signs amendment removing him from office

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has signed a constitutional amendment that effectively removes him from his post, paving the way for parliament to elect a successor within thirty days. The amendment, passed by the parliament on Monday, was supported by the center-right Tisza party, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, which holds a two-thirds majority. The Fidesz party, formerly led by ex-Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, abstained from the vote.

Sulyok, who holds a largely ceremonial role, had little choice but to sign the amendment after Magyar threatened impeachment proceedings if he refused within five days. Magyar, who defeated Orbán in the April parliamentary elections after Orbán's two-decade tenure, described the constitutional change as a "crucial milestone in dismantling Orbán's political and economic mafia" and referred to Sulyok as "Orbán's puppet."

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a crucial milestone in dismantling Orbán's political and economic mafia

The constitutional amendment also introduces a twelve-year term limit for members of parliament, requiring them to step down after three terms. Additionally, judges at the Constitutional Court must retire at age seventy. This latter measure affects Peter Polt, the current president of the court, who is aligned with Orbán and also turned seventy.

Sulyok, a former judge on the Constitutional Court himself, expressed strong disapproval of the amendment. He stated that it sets a "negative precedent that inflicts deep wounds on the constitutional values of democracy, the separation of powers, and the rule of law," according to Reuters. Magyar has pledged to reverse the controversial laws enacted under the Orbán government.

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a negative precedent that inflicts deep wounds on the constitutional values of democracy, the separation of powers, and the rule of law