The Hungarian government officially submitted a proposal for the 17th amendment to the nation’s Fundamental Law to the National Assembly on Saturday, July 4. Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that the provisions are designed to ensure that the Hungarian state remains protected from future capture. According to the proposal, the term of President Tamás Sulyok would be terminated, with a new head of state to be elected by the National Assembly for a maximum period of five years.
The bill introduces several significant changes, including an upper age limit of 70 for Constitutional Court judges. This move would effectively end the mandates of the court’s president, Péter Polt, alongside three other judges. Additionally, the legislation seeks to restrict members of parliament to a 12-year service limit and mandates that the administrative units currently known as vármegyék return to their former designation of megyék, or counties. The amendment also facilitates the creation of the National Office for Asset Recovery and Protection.
Prime Minister Magyar described the amendment as the conclusion of an era, noting that the government intends to begin drafting an entirely new constitution by the autumn. However, the proposal has faced sharp rebuke from Gergely Gulyás, the Fidesz parliamentary group leader, who characterized the amendment as the death of constitutional democracy and the start of authoritarian rule in the country. Gulyás emphasized that while this is the sixth time a government has held a two-thirds majority since the fall of communism, no previous administration had attempted to remove the president of the republic or the president of the Constitutional Court.
President Sulyok also voiced his opposition, stating that the proposal is incompatible with the rule of law and arguing that the prime minister has failed to provide valid constitutional grounds for his removal. In response to the developments, Fidesz has scheduled a protest for Thursday, July 9, outside Sándor Palace at 6 p.m., where former president and Fidesz politician János Áder is expected to speak to the 88 attendees.
Monday’s parliamentary session proceeded without the usual pre-agenda speech from the Prime Minister, who was in Turkey attending a NATO summit. In his absence, Deputy Prime Minister Bálint Ruff handled official duties, while Minister for Transport and Investment Dávid Vitézy addressed the assembly. Political analyst Gábor Török noted that Vitézy’s delivery was significantly less confrontational than the Prime Minister’s typical style, highlighting a shift in parliamentary dynamics during the Prime Minister’s absence.
Political analyst Gábor Török considered Vitézy’s speech significant because Magyar’s absence demonstrated that Tisza’s communication style and the dynamics of parliament could be different. When the prime minister is present, he dominates everything. The analyst described Magyar as a hammer that sees everything as a nail and strikes everywhere. In terms of substance, Vitézy addressed similar issues, including corruption, but his shorter, more focused speech was less confrontational.
