Hungarian Government Plans Constitutional Changes To Remove President Sulyok (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief reporting from Budapest, Hungary

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s government plans to amend the constitution to remove President Tamás Sulyok after he refused to resign, Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced Monday during a tense press conference outside the presidential palace.

The move deepens what could become the most serious constitutional confrontation in Hungary since the end of communist rule, pitting the country’s new government against institutions established during former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s years in power.

Speaking after a private meeting with Sulyok at Budapest’s Sándor Palace, Magyar said his government would not pursue impeachment but instead seek constitutional changes to pave the way for the president’s departure.

“We will amend the Fundamental Law in the necessary way,” Magyar told reporters. “We will restore the Hungarian rule of law and democracy based on the clear mandate of millions of Hungarians.”

Magyar said details of the proposed amendments would first be discussed with lawmakers from his governing Tisza Party. He suggested the process could take about a month.

JUSTICE MINISTER PRESENT

Magyar was accompanied by Justice Minister Márta Görög, whom he said he invited because constitutional and legal issues would be central to the government’s next steps.

The prime minister added that during an earlier private meeting, Sulyok had reportedly asked which minister he should consult if he decided to resign. According to Magyar, the president himself mentioned the justice minister.

Magyar said Görög attended Monday’s meeting partly to answer questions about a possible resignation. Since Sulyok declined to step down, he said the minister would instead play a key role in preparing constitutional amendments.

The outdoor press conference was repeatedly interrupted by a small group of protesters who shouted accusations at Magyar and questioned him about alleged contacts with former central bank governor György Matolcsy.

Magyar dismissed them as propagandists and called on police and organizers to ensure journalists could hear questions and answers.

PROTESTERS INTERRUPT EVENT

“We thank you for the theatre and the circus,” he remarked after one interruption.

Despite the disruptions, Magyar continued taking questions from reporters representing several Hungarian media outlets.

Magyar accused Sulyok of repeatedly failing to defend democratic values, human dignity, and national unity during the Orbán era.

He said the president remained silent during controversies involving Hungary’s child-protection system, restrictions on freedom of assembly, alleged surveillance of opponents, attacks on civil society groups, and rhetoric aimed at government critics.

“The task of the president is more than signing laws and attending ceremonies,” Magyar said. “The president must express the unity of the nation and safeguard the democratic functioning of the state.”

SULYOK REJECTS DEMANDS

He also criticized Sulyok for remaining silent on issues affecting ethnic Hungarian communities abroad, including disputes involving Hungarian minorities in neighboring countries.

Sulyok, 70, was elected president by Hungary’s parliament in February 2024 after former President Katalin Novák resigned over a controversial pardon linked to a child-abuse case. A constitutional lawyer and former president of Hungary’s Constitutional Court, Sulyok was backed by the then-ruling Fidesz party of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Sulyok rejected the government’s demands in a televised address Sunday evening.

The president said he had considered resigning but concluded it would not solve what he described as a constitutional conflict between institutions. He accused Magyar of issuing unilateral demands that undermine the presidency.

“Faithful to my oath, I will continue to serve as President of the Republic and exercise the powers entrusted to me by the Constitution,” Sulyok said.

He also denied obstructing the government and pointed to his approval of legislation restoring Hungary’s participation in the International Criminal Court.

REFORMS AND EU FUNDS

Magyar stressed that the proposed constitutional changes are not aimed solely at Sulyok but are part of a broader effort to reform what he described as a system of political appointments inherited from the previous government.

He referred to a “cadre carousel” in which senior officials moved between powerful state positions and indicated that other officeholders appointed during the Fidesz era could also be affected.

The prime minister said the dispute would not delay efforts to unlock billions of euros in European Union funding. He noted that under Hungary’s constitution, the speaker of parliament would temporarily assume presidential duties if the office became vacant and could sign necessary legislation.

Magyar also suggested Hungary could eventually consider giving voters a greater role in selecting future presidents, including direct presidential elections.

The standoff marks the most serious confrontation yet between Hungary’s new government and institutions established during the Orbán era. With Sulyok refusing to resign and Magyar pledging constitutional changes, Hungary appears headed toward a political and institutional battle that could reshape the country’s constitutional order in the weeks ahead.

Latest Worthy News