Thousands Protest Hungarian Government Over Constitutional Changes

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Thousands of Hungarians rallied outside Budapest’s Sándor Palace on Thursday in protest against Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whom they accuse of undermining democracy through planned constitutional changes that would pave the way for removing President Tamás Sulyok from office.

Sulyok, a former constitutional court judge elected president with the backing of Viktor Orbán’s former governing coalition, is widely regarded by critics as an ally of the former prime minister, who ruled Hungary uninterrupted from 2010 until Magyar’s election victory earlier this year.

The demonstration, organized by the opposition alliance Fidesz-KDNP under the slogan “Stop Arbitrary Rule!”, was held in support of Sulyok and against the government’s proposed 17th amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law.

The government says the proposed constitutional changes are intended to restore democratic accountability and reform institutions it argues remained dominated by officials appointed during the Orbán era. Opponents counter that the changes would weaken constitutional safeguards and further concentrate political power.

Waving Hungarian flags, demonstrators gathered outside the presidential palace in Budapest’s Castle District, voicing concerns that the planned constitutional changes threatened Hungary’s democratic institutions.

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

Former President János Áder, who delivered the keynote address, described efforts to remove the head of state as unconstitutional and warned that the government’s two-thirds parliamentary majority was being used to weaken constitutional checks and balances.

The dispute has also intensified in recent days after Magyar accused Áder and his Blue Planet Foundation of excessive public spending and financial mismanagement. Áder rejected the allegations as false, demanded evidence, and said he would pursue legal action unless an apology was issued. Magyar has also published drone footage of Áder’s villa, questioning what he described as excessive public spending on the former president’s residence, foreign travel, and activities linked to his Blue Planet Foundation.

Bence Rétvári, parliamentary leader of the Christian Democratic People’s Party (KDNP), told Worthy News the proposed amendment represented an unprecedented step within the European Union.

“It is a modification of the Hungarian Fundamental Law, and there is no precedent in Europe like this,” Rétvári said in an interview.

“With one sentence, they throw out the president of the republic. It has never happened in the European Union.”

DEMOCRACY DEBATE

He said demonstrators viewed the proposal as an assault on Hungary’s constitutional order.

“We protested against this because we believe it is not democratic,” Rétvári added. “Perhaps the European Court or other European institutions will also conclude that this is incompatible with democratic principles.”

Asked whether he regarded the developments as resembling a constitutional coup, Rétvári replied: “Yes, because in a democracy it has never happened before in the European Union.”

He also criticized recent changes at Hungary’s public broadcaster, where numerous employees were dismissed after the government announced a restructuring.

“They don’t want balance in the public media,” he said. “They want to take over the public media because they threw out so many people in one day, with security guards escorting them from the building. It is a takeover of the public media.”

VOICES FROM THE CROWD

Rétvári added that while corruption should always be investigated, it remained to be seen whether anti-corruption measures would be applied impartially.

Several demonstrators also told Worthy News they feared the government’s broader direction.

Tibor, a 56-year-old computer programmer and father, said his family had benefited from policies introduced under Orbán.

“We got a lot of support from the government—for families, children, and house repairs,” he recalled.

Speaking on condition that only his first name be published, Tibor said he believed the current government threatened Hungary’s independence and expressed concern about what he described as its more liberal social policies, including its approach toward LGBTQ+ issues.

UKRAINE CONCERNS

Others focused primarily on foreign policy.

“I am the mother of two sons, and we are terribly afraid of the moment when Hungarian men will be sent to Ukraine to fight,” said Ildikó, a retired mathematics teacher.

Like other interviewees, Ildikó asked that her surname not be published.

“Magyar supports European Union policies in every respect,” she said. “The EU gives money and weapons to Ukraine. What they have not given yet is soldiers, but we fear the day may come when men from the European Union, especially from Eastern Europe, will be sent to fight.”

She stressed that Hungary should not become directly involved in the war.

“We don’t want to sacrifice our sons because it is not our war,” Ildikó said. “Hungary has already lost enough in the previous two world wars. We don’t want to lose everything.”

POLITICAL DIVISIONS

She also said speakers at the rally warned that future government policies could eventually make it easier for foreigners to purchase Hungarian land, something she described as “horrible.”

The demonstration reflected the deep political divisions that have emerged since Magyar’s Tisza Party secured a two-thirds parliamentary majority in April’s election.

Following his victory, Magyar called on President Sulyok and several other senior officeholders appointed during the previous administration to resign. His government has since sought constitutional mechanisms to replace officials who refuse to step down voluntarily.

The confrontation over the proposed constitutional changes has evolved into one of the most significant constitutional disputes in Hungary since the end of communist rule in 1989, reflecting the depth of the country’s political polarization.

Supporters say the reforms are necessary to increase democratic accountability after 16 years of Fidesz rule. Opponents argue they amount to an unprecedented concentration of political power that could further weaken Hungary’s democratic institutions.

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