Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok agrees to step down after constitutional amendment

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has agreed to resign after signing a constitutional amendment that will officially end his presidency at midnight on Sunday.

The amendment, passed by Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s governing Tisza Party, was designed to remove Sulyok, who has long been viewed as an ally of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose 16-year rule ended following his election defeat in April.

Under the law, Sulyok had five days to approve the amendment or face the possibility of a prolonged constitutional standoff and impeachment proceedings.

Announcing his decision on Saturday evening, Sulyok said he would sign the legislation but accused the new administration of undermining the rule of law.

In a statement, he described the amendment as a “breaking point” for Hungary’s constitutional democracy, arguing that the principles of a free society had been sacrificed for political gain.

His departure marks one of the most significant actions taken by the Tisza government since assuming office. The administration had consistently portrayed Sulyok as a holdover from the previous government and had repeatedly called for his resignation.

Since securing a landslide election victory in April, the Tisza Party has introduced a series of sweeping constitutional reforms.

Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán condemned the amendment as an abuse of power and urged supporters to protest against it.

Orbán’s Fidesz party has struggled since its election defeat, with its influence declining sharply. Orbán himself has largely stayed out of public view and has declined to take up his parliamentary seat.

During its time in power from 2010 to 2026, Fidesz reshaped many state institutions, appointing loyalists to key positions through its parliamentary supermajority.

Lawmakers from the Tisza Party celebrated the amendment’s passage with a standing ovation after Parliament approved the measure earlier this week.

Following the vote, former Hungarian Supreme Court President András Baka said he supported Sulyok’s removal, arguing that Hungary functioned under the rule of law between 1989 and 2010, before Fidesz gradually consolidated control over state institutions and established what he described as an authoritarian system.

Baka added that dismantling such a deeply entrenched political structure would be a difficult process, even after an electoral change in government.

Source: BBC