Hungary's Parliament Decides on Removal of President Sulyok – Impeachment Looms

Background of the Constitutional Amendment

Sulyok had not complied with the Prime Minister's demand for his resignation prior to the vote. He announced that he would not sign the law on his own removal within the remaining five-day period available to him. Should he sign on the fifth day, he would be removed from office 24 hours later.

Magyar justified the initiative sharply: "Der heutige Tag ist ein bedeutender Tag für die Geschichte Ungarns und für den Systemwechsel." He went on to explain: "Heute entscheidet das ungarische Parlament über die 17. Änderung des Grundgesetzes. Es entscheidet darüber, ob wir jene Epoche beenden, in der die gescheiterte Fidesz-Partei das Grundgesetz umfunktioniert hat zu ihrem eigenen Regelwerk für die Machtausübung."

At the same time, Magyar accused Sulyok of having supported the policies of former head of government Viktor Orbán, who was voted out of office in April. He accused Orbán of having tailored this body of legislation entirely to the power needs of his party. In addition, Magyar called Sulyok and other senior state representatives puppets of his predecessor, saying: "Tamás Sulyok sei «unwürdig, das ungarische Volk zu vertreten»."

Magyar's Accusations Against Sulyok

Magyar framed it as a question: "ob der ungarische Staat weiterhin diejenigen schützen soll, die das Orban-System geschützt haben." As early as the end of June, he had stated that "es sei nicht angemessen, sich über den demokratischen Willen des Volkes und das Mandat hinwegzusetzen."

Sulyok, who is regarded as a confidant and loyalist of Viktor Orbán, is resisting his dismissal. In an interview with the Swiss right-wing populist magazine Weltwoche, he stated: "Der Staatspräsident verfügt über keine politische Macht, er gehört nicht zur Exekutive, deswegen kann er nicht politisch zur Rechenschaft gezogen werden." He further said: "Eine reine politisch motivierte Absetzung des Präsidenten sei ein beispielloser Vorgang und eine Gefahr für die verfassungsmäßige und demokratische Ordnung."

Sulyok also emphasized: "Ich habe diese Zusammenarbeit von Anfang an angeboten und strebe sie auch weiter an. Die politischen Entscheidungen trifft die Mehrheit des Parlaments, die Aufgabe des Präsidenten ist es nur, diese Entscheidungen zu legitimieren." He pointed out that the constitution provides for cooperation between the president, parliament, and government.

Sulyok's Defense

In the event that Sulyok refuses to countersign, Magyar threatened him with impeachment proceedings. These would have to be initiated by parliament with a two-thirds majority and approved by the Constitutional Court. Should Sulyok not sign the amendment, Prime Minister Magyar intends to initiate the already prepared proceedings immediately. After the five-day period expires, this would be the next step.

If, on the other hand, Sulyok were to sign after all, his term of office would end immediately. In the event of a vacancy in the post of head of state, Speaker of Parliament Agnes Forsthoffer would temporarily assume his powers. She would also countersign the constitutional amendment in Sulyok's place. Parliament would then have 30 days to elect an interim president.

The Hungarian government declared that Sulyok had suffered a severe loss of confidence. A survey by the research institute 21 Research Center from May showed that 67 percent of Hungarian voters demand Sulyok's resignation. Amnesty International noted that Sulyok is entitled to due process.

Further Reforms: Age Limit and Term Limits

In addition to Sulyok's removal, the constitutional amendment provides for other far-reaching reforms: "die Ämter der Verfassungsrichter automatisch mit Vollendung ihres 70. Lebensjahrs enden, dass die Tätigkeit der Abgeordneten auf zwölf Jahre begrenzt wird." The regulation takes effect as of the next parliamentary election in 2030.

As early as mid-June, Magyar's civic Tisza Party, with its two-thirds majority in parliament, had passed a constitutional amendment limiting the prime minister's term of office to eight years. It prevents Orbán from becoming head of government again. Magyar, too, can be re-elected at most once under this provision.

The 12-year limit for members of parliament would also affect Orbán: it would, for example, prohibit Orbán from standing for parliament again. He was a member of parliament continuously from 1990 until now. However, he did not take up the parliamentary mandate he won in the April election of this year as the top candidate of his Fidesz party.

Of the 15 constitutional judges, four are immediately affected by the new age limit, including the president, Peter Polt, who is regarded as an Orbán loyalist. The reform thereby deprives the Fidesz party of its previous comprehensive control over Hungary's highest court. Sulyok could also turn to the Constitutional Court, which continues to be staffed predominantly with judges appointed by Orbán.

Criticism and Assessment of the Reform

Magyar also plans, together with his Tisza Party, to draft an entirely new constitution to replace the 'Fundamental Law' introduced by Orbán. The new constitution is to enter into force in autumn 2026 and provide, among other things, for the direct election of the head of state by the people. Also planned is the establishment of a new 'National Office' to strengthen anti-corruption work.

Constitutional law scholars and political scientists assess the changes as a severe blow to democracy and the rule of law in Hungary. Critics accuse the new government of doing precisely what it long accused Orbán of: tailoring constitutional amendments for partisan political purposes. Jurists in Hungary and abroad see the removal of the president by parliament as a dangerous precedent for other countries.

Outlook: New Constitution in Autumn 2026

Orbán governed from 1998 to 2002 and from 2010 until his ouster in April 2026. The Fidesz party described Magyar's actions as autocratic – an accusation that had frequently been leveled against Orbán during his time in office. Péter Magyar had announced after his election victory in April that he intended to change the system built up by his predecessor Orbán.

Foreign affairs correspondent Peter Balzli provided an analysis of the events for SRF. The report was broadcast on Deutschlandfunk on July 13, 2026. The AFP news agency provided the basis for the article.