Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar is threatening to amend the constitution to oust President Tamás Sulyok, an appointee of former leader Viktor Orbán. After Sulyok refused to meet a resignation deadline, Magyar initiated a month-long legislative process, leveraging his Tisza party's two-thirds parliamentary majority. Sulyok warns of a constitutional crisis, while his largely ceremonial role holds the power to delay Magyar's reforms and access to EU funds.
Magyar-Sulyok constitutional standoff
- ▪The legislative process to remove President Tamás Sulyok is expected to take approximately one month
- ▪Péter Magyar gave President Tamás Sulyok a deadline of May 31 or the preceding Sunday to resign
- ▪Péter Magyar has accused President Tamás Sulyok of being a "puppet" for former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán
- ▪Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has threatened to amend the constitution to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office
Tisza party parliamentary supermajority
- ▪Péter Magyar's Tisza party won a two-thirds majority in the April 2026 elections, giving it the power to amend the constitution
- ▪Péter Magyar's Tisza party has proposed a constitutional amendment to limit any prime minister to eight years in power
Presidential legislative veto power
- ▪Reforms by Péter Magyar's new government could lead to the release of €16.4bn in EU funds previously withheld from Hungary
- ▪The president can delay or block legislation by referring it back to parliament or to the Constitutional Court
- ▪The role of the Hungarian president is largely ceremonial, but includes the power to sign legislation into law
Orban-era appointee removal plans
- ▪Péter Magyar has pledged to remove several key officials appointed during Viktor Orbán's 16 years in power
- ▪Tamás Sulyok was installed as president in February 2024 by lawmakers from Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party
Sulyok resignation refusal
- ▪President Tamás Sulyok's office has requested a legal assessment of the conflict from the Venice Commission, a Council of Europe advisory body
- ▪President Tamás Sulyok warned that Péter Magyar's actions could lead to a "constitutional crisis" and damage Hungary's international reputation
- ▪Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party described Péter Magyar's demand for the president's resignation as an "unlawful ultimatum."
- ▪President Tamás Sulyok has repeatedly refused to resign, stating he intends to serve his full five-year term until 2029
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