By Krisztina Than
BUDAPEST, July 13 (Reuters) – Hungary’s parliament is set to approve a constitutional amendment by Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s government on Monday to oust President Tamas Sulyok, who Magyar said was a “puppet” of former premier Viktor Orban.
The legislation, which comes after Magyar ended nationalist Orban’s 16-year rule in a landslide election in April, is part of Magyar’s efforts to dismantle Orban’s bastions of power, for which he says he received a strong mandate from voters.
The president has only limited powers to veto legislation or have it reviewed, but is an important symbolic figure.
Magyar’s party Tisza has a supermajority in parliament which enables it to modify the constitution and roll back changes by Orban that it says eroded democracy. It has taken swift action, suspending news broadcasts on public service television and radio last week as part of an overhaul to make public media independent.
Magyar said in a Facebook post on Saturday that parliament would approve the constitutional amendment on Monday to remove Sulyok. If Sulyok does not sign the legislation within five days, an impeachment proceding would be launched, Magyar said.
Sulyok, who served for 10 years as a Constitutional Court judge until parliament appointed him president in 2024, said he has no political agenda.
He has objected to the amendment, asking for an assessment from the Venice Commission, a panel of the Council of Europe human rights body which gives advice on whether constitutional changes are democratic. The Venice Commission has declined comment.
Last Thursday Orban’s Fidesz party held a protest in support of Sulyok. Orban did not take part.
Magyar, whose government plans a constitutional reform in the autumn, is expected to address parliament at 1300 CET before the voting on the bill, which also limits lawmakers’ terms to 12 years. The bill says its aim is to ensure “the preconditions for the restoration of constitutional democracy”.
The amendment would end Sulyok’s term immediately, citing society’s “serious loss of confidence” in him. Parliament would elect a new president until a new constitution takes effect, or for a maximum of five years.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than)
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