Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has officially announced a sweeping plan to alter the nation`s foundational legal framework to systematically remove the sitting president and several high-ranking officials appointed under the previous administration. Speaking at a major press conference in Budapest on Monday, Magyar explicitly labeled President Tamas Sulyok as a mere puppet of the former populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban. The newly elected leader openly demanded the president`s immediate resignation to restore democratic balance. However, the head of state has repeatedly and firmly rejected the prime minister`s ongoing demands to step down from his ceremonial office.The prime minister intends to amend the constitution to break the political deadlock.
This intense institutional clash follows the overwhelming electoral triumph achieved by Peter Magyar and his centrist Tisza party during the national elections in April. By securing a powerful two-thirds supermajority in parliament, the new administration possesses the absolute legislative authority to dismantle the complex political system built by Orban over his 16 years of uninterrupted governance. Utilizing this legislative leverage, Magyar had previously issued a strict deadline of this past Sunday for Sulyok to voluntarily vacate the presidential office. The prime minister made it absolutely clear that a refusal to comply would result in the forced removal of the president through structured legislative intervention.
Although the presidency in Hungary is predominantly a ceremonial role, the head of state holds the vital responsibility of signing newly passed bills into official law. Furthermore, the president retains the exclusive constitutional authority to divert legislation passed by parliament to the Constitutional Court for exhaustive judicial review. This specific legal leverage has raised immense concern among the supporters of the new government, who fear that Sulyok could strategically deploy his veto power to actively obstruct their reformist agenda. To address these growing concerns directly, Magyar held high-stakes discussions with Sulyok at the presidential Sandor Palace on Monday morning.
Following the conclusion of their private dialogue, Magyar confirmed during the press briefing that the president had explicitly refused to resign from his post. The prime minister stated that because the president is maintaining his unyielding stance, he will immediately present the new legislative proposals to Tisza lawmakers to initiate the formal removal process. According to official estimates, the complete legislative pathway will take approximately one month to execute through parliamentary channels. Magyar emphasized that the upcoming reforms are specifically designed to strip authority from partisan figures who actively participated in undermining the rule of law and democratic institutions. He asserted that Hungary does not belong to any single political figure or system.
The prime minister further accused Sulyok of completely failing to fulfill his institutional duties on numerous critical public issues. He pointed out that the president remained systematically silent when Orban made profoundly dehumanizing public remarks about political opponents and independent critics. Additionally, Magyar criticized Sulyok for failing to voice any institutional opposition when the previous conservative government enacted controversial legislation banning a high-profile LGBTQ pride event. In response, the president`s office issued a formal statement arguing that the constant pressure to resign adversely affects the constitutional functioning and independent authority of the republic`s highest office. Seeking external guidance, Sulyok has formally requested an independent legal evaluation of the executive conflict from the Venice Commission.
