Hungary Parliament Votes to Remove President, Dismantle Orbán Era System

Hungary's Parliament has voted to pass a constitutional amendment that will remove President Tamás Sulyok from office, marking a significant step in Prime Minister Péter Magyar's efforts to dismantle the political system established by former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The amendment, which aims to "restore rule-of-law democracy," passed with 139 votes in favor and six against in the 199-member Parliament.

Magyar's pro-European, center-right Tisza party secured a two-thirds majority in Parliament following a landslide election victory in April. This allows them to enact constitutional changes and reverse many policies implemented by Orbán during his 16-year tenure. Tisza lawmakers celebrated the vote with a standing ovation, while members of Orbán's far-right Fidesz party boycotted the parliamentary session.

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With this vote today, we have closed an era.

President Sulyok must sign the amendment within five days to make it law. He has not yet indicated his decision, but Tisza has vowed to initiate impeachment proceedings if he refuses. Magyar has accused Sulyok of failing to obstruct antidemocratic measures by Orbán's government and presented his party's electoral success as a clear mandate to remove the president. Sulyok has previously resisted calls to resign.

Following the vote, Magyar declared that his government had "started the transformation of the Orbán legal system" and "closed an era." The amendment not only removes Sulyok, necessitating a new presidential election by Parliament, but also introduces judicial reforms, establishes an office to investigate financial abuses under the Orbán administration, and imposes a 12-year term limit for lawmakers. Fidesz has condemned the amendment as an "unprecedented" assault on Hungary's democratic order.

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We asked for and received a completely clear mandate from the Hungarian people to do this.