Opposition Calls for Protest Over President’s Removal
Poinews.com – Hungary’s opposition Fidesz party has organized a protest on Thursday following Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s submission of a constitutional amendment aimed at removing President Tamás Sulyok. Magyar, who secured a decisive electoral win in April, ended Viktor Orbán’s 16-year tenure as head of government. He has repeatedly labeled Sulyok as “Orbán’s puppet,” accusing the president of failing to represent the interests of the Hungarian people.
Magyar’s Constitutional Amendment Targets Sulyok
The amendment, filed on Saturday, proposes that the current president’s term will end the day after it takes effect. If passed, it would also eliminate four constitutional judges by raising their retirement age to 70 and cap parliamentary deputies’ mandates at 12 years. The governing Tisza Party, which holds a supermajority in parliament, is expected to approve the measure swiftly.
Key Provisions of the Proposed Changes
According to parliamentary sources, the amendment could be enacted as early as next week, though this remains unconfirmed. The changes would effectively shorten the president’s term and alter the structure of Hungary’s judicial and legislative frameworks. President Sulyok has refused to resign, condemning the move as a threat to democratic principles.
“The question is whether this force will sweep away internationally recognised and required principles of the rule of law, as well as genuine representative democracy,” said Sulyok in a statement on Sunday.
Sulyok’s Concerns About Democracy
Magyar, who pledged during his campaign to replace the president, argues that Sulyok did not uphold constitutional responsibilities while Orbán was in power. “Viktor Orbán failed the Hungarian people, and Tamás Sulyok, whom he appointed, failed the Hungarian Republic,” Magyar stated in June. Fidesz has warned that Sulyok’s removal would pave the way for authoritarian rule.
“The Tisza Party crosses all boundaries – human, moral and legal,” said Orbán. “Hungarian voters did not authorise this.”
International Observers and Monitoring Bodies
A delegation from the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, an expert body on constitutional matters, recently visited Hungary and met with both the president and government officials. Their assessment of the amendment process has not been released. Meanwhile, the European Commission continues to track the development of Hungary’s constitutional reforms.
