Hungary's President Tamás Sulyok signed a constitutional amendment into law on Saturday, effectively ending his tenure. The move concludes a tense dispute between the president and the nation's new government, which had been actively seeking his removal as part of a broader effort to purge officials appointed during the long-standing administration of Viktor Orbán.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who secured a decisive victory over Orbán in the April elections, had repeatedly urged Sulyok to step down. Magyar argued that the president, who was appointed under the previous regime, had failed to fulfill his duties by not opposing what the new administration characterized as antidemocratic measures implemented by Orbán. Following Sulyok's refusal to resign voluntarily, lawmakers from Magyar’s pro-European, center-right Tisza party passed the constitutional amendment earlier this week. Sulyok signed the legislation on the final day of his five-day window to act.
In a video statement shared on Facebook Saturday evening, Sulyok—whom Magyar had frequently branded as a “puppet” of the former leader—criticized the development. He stated that being forced to sign the amendment served as “lasting proof that the fundamental values of a free society, the rule of law, democracy, the principle of power-sharing, have been trampled on in the interest of power.”
Sulyok’s departure will become official at midnight on Monday. At that time, the Speaker of Parliament, Ágnes Forsthoffer, is set to automatically assume presidential duties until a successor is elected, a process that must be completed within 30 days. Orbán reacted to the news on Facebook, claiming that “tyranny is no longer a threat, but a reality,” and warning that if such actions could be taken against the president, no one would be safe in the future.
Conversely, Prime Minister Magyar defended the move in his own video address, asserting that the amendment allowed his administration to fulfill key campaign commitments and restore rights that the previous regime had stripped from the Hungarian people. He noted that he plans to convene his party on Monday to discuss a candidate for the next presidency.
Since taking office in May, Magyar has moved to dismantle what he describes as the “mafia” structure of the Orbán era. His administration has suspended the news services of public television and radio, which he deemed a “propaganda factory,” and shuttered the Sovereignty Protection Office, an entity critics viewed as a tool for silencing independent media. The newly signed amendment also introduces judicial reforms, establishes an office to investigate financial abuses occurring under the former government, and mandates a 12-year term limit for lawmakers.
