Hungary's Magyar Péter Pushes Constitutional Overhaul, Targeting Officials and Term Limits

Hungarian politician Magyar Péter is advocating for swift constitutional changes, aiming to impose term limits on parliamentary mandates and potentially oust public officials he deems tied to the previous regime. Péter initially called for the resignation of the incumbent president and other officials, later setting a deadline for their voluntary departure.

In response to the pressure, President Tamás Sulyok has appealed to the Venice Commission for an international constitutional law opinion regarding his conflict with the government and the efforts to remove him. Sulyok has publicly stated he will continue to fulfill his presidential duties, exercising his constitutional powers.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, in response to Sulyok's stance, announced plans to amend the constitution to facilitate the president's removal. The proposed 17th amendment to the fundamental law would cap an individual's parliamentary mandate at 12 years. While this change would not affect the current parliamentary composition, it would apply to the National Assembly formed after the 2030 elections.

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Sulyok Tamással is leszámol a Tisza

Critics argue that this amendment is a retroactively crafted law. It is expected to impact a significant portion of lawmakers from Fidesz–KDNP and Mi Hazánk, while sparing members of Magyar Péter's Tisza Party. Gergely Gulyás, a prominent Fidesz politician, indicated he would step down as parliamentary group leader due to these new public office limitations, as he would not be eligible to run in the next election under the proposed rules.

Simultaneously, a "lex Szijjártó" is reportedly being prepared. This refers to potential legislation targeting Péter Szijjártó, the former foreign minister who announced his resignation from parliament to take on a role with BYD, a Chinese automotive group. Prime Minister Orbán has suggested that conflict-of-interest rules might be expanded, casting doubt on whether Szijjártó's new position would even materialize. Orbán alluded that Szijjártó's appointment as a global leader for BYD was "too public" a reward for his role in attracting the company's first European car factory to Szeged.

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Gulyás Gergely tudatta:a legnagyobb ellenzéki frakciónak nem lehet olyan vezetője, aki nem indulhat a következő választáson a közjogi korlátok miatt, ezért lemond a frakcióvezetésről.