Hungary parliament passes law to oust president in Magyar's power shake-up

Hungary's parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Monday, July 13, 2026, to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office. The move is the centerpiece of an aggressive effort by Prime Minister Péter Magyar to dismantle the institutional remnants of former premier Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure.

The legislation, known as the 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law, passed with 139 votes in favor and six against in the 199-member parliament. The victory was greeted by a standing ovation from the deputies of Magyar's centre-right Tisza Party, which secured a two-thirds supermajority in a landslide election on April 12, 2026.

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Prime Minister Magyar described President Sulyok as a puppet of Orbán and argued that the president had failed to embody the unity of the nation. Ahead of the vote, Magyar told parliament that failing to address the constitution would be a betrayal of the Hungarian nation, claiming the Tisza Party holds a clear mandate to dismantle a system where one man's will became the source of legislative work.

A Constitutional Ultimatum

The amendment terminates Sulyok's mandate on the day following its entry into force, citing a serious loss of confidence from society. Sulyok, a former Constitutional Court judge appointed in 2024, now faces a five-day deadline to sign the amendment. If he refuses or refers the law to the Constitutional Court, Magyar has vowed to launch impeachment proceedings, which would automatically suspend the president from office.

Sulyok has so far refused to step down, asserting he has no political agenda. He sought an urgent assessment of the amendment from the Venice Commission, a Council of Europe human rights advisory body. However, according to the Presidential Office, the Commission declined to accelerate the process and will instead examine the matter during its October session.

The urgency for the removal stems from the president's power to refer bills to the Constitutional Court. Supporters of the new government expressed concerns that Sulyok could use this authority to obstruct the Tisza Party's reform agenda, which Magyar has dubbed Operation Cleansing Fire.

Broad Institutional Purge

The 17th amendment is a comprehensive package of laws designed to restructure the Hungarian state until a new constitution is drafted, a project Magyar says will begin in the autumn. Beyond the presidency, the reforms include:

• Judicial Overhaul: Reinstating a mandatory retirement age of 70 for Constitutional Court judges, a move that would force the retirement of Orbán ally Péter Polt. Judge terms are reduced from 12 to nine years, and the court regains authority to review certain taxation and budgetary matters.
• Parliamentary Term Limits: A new 12-year maximum limit for lawmakers, preventing deputies who have served three terms from running again.
• Anti-Corruption Measures: The creation of a National Asset Recovery and Protection Office with investigative and prosecutorial powers to recover allegedly misused state property.
• Administrative Changes: The abolition of the Parliamentary Guard and the removal of the Budget Council's veto over the state budget.

The parliamentary term limits have already caused internal fractures within the opposition. Gergely Gulyás, the head of the Fidesz parliamentary group, resigned on Monday, stating the law would prevent him from running in the next election.

Diverging Perspectives on Democracy

The move has drawn sharp criticism from the now-opposition Fidesz party, which boycotted Monday's session. Fidesz argues the amendment is an unprecedented assault on the democratic order that grants the government arbitrary power to dismiss public officials. Fidesz supporters held a prior protest in support of Sulyok.

Some observers view the current situation as a mirror image of the past. Péter Rona, a former presidential candidate, told the BBC that Fidesz has fallen foul of their own concept of power, referring to the 2011 constitution's winner takes all principle.

However, not all critics are aligned with Fidesz. Aron Demeter, communications director for Amnesty International Hungary, told Balkaninsight that while Sulyok is unworthy of the office, the method of removing him via a single sentence is not elegant. Demeter warned that the government should avoid using the same methods employed during the Orbán regime.

What Happens Next

Event/Decision	Timeline/Condition	Implication
Presidential Signature	Within 5 days of July 13	Law enters force; Sulyok's term ends immediately.
Impeachment Trigger	If Sulyok refuses to sign	Automatic suspension of the President from office.
New Presidential Election	Within 30 days of law's effect	Parliament elects interim head of state.
Venice Commission Review	October 2026 session	External assessment of the amendment's democratic nature.
Constitutional Drafting	Autumn 2026	Joint project with citizens to write a new constitution.

As the political battle intensifies, Viktor Orbán has largely retreated from public view. On Monday, he left Hungary for the United States to attend the FIFA World Cup finals, effectively leaving his party without its leader during this constitutional crisis.