In brief
Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok will leave office at midnight Sunday after signing an amendment that cuts his presidency short and strips power from Fidesz loyalists. The move follows a decisive parliamentary vote that halted more than 600 seats, signalling the sharp shift in the Tisza coalition’s strategy since the April election loss. Critics argue the amendment marks a break in rule of law and deepens Hungary’s slide toward authoritarian governance. Analysts note the change opens the way for further constitutional reforms and a realignment of parliamentary leadership. The decision is a pivotal moment in Hungary’s recent political crisis.
Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok consented to resign, signing the constitutional amendment that will revocate his office at midnight Sunday.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s Tisza coalition had accelerated the law change through parliament, declaring Sulyok a loyalist of former prime minister Viktor Orbán who left office in April after a 16‑year reign.
The president faced five days to sign the amendment or encounter a protracted constitutional crisis and impeachment procedure.
He announced his compliance as the deadline closed Saturday night, but castigated the government for violating the rule of law.
Sulyok described the amendment as a breaking point in Hungarian constitutional democracy, claiming core values of a free society were undermined for political power.
The Tisza government’s move marked a dramatic shift, viewing the president as a puppet and demanding resignation.
The amendment also removed the Constitutional Court chief and barred MPs with three terms from standing again, affecting more than half of the current deputies from Orbán’s Fidesz party.
Orbán denounced the amendment as tyranny and called for protests, though he has largely stayed absent from public and refused a parliamentary seat since the April defeat.
Since 2010 the Fidesz coalition has reshaped state institutions, filling independent posts and converting them into loyalist strongholds, prompting calls for democratic backslid toward authoritarian rule.
At Monday’s vote the 141 Tisza deputies gave a standing ovation, celebrating the amending of the president’s role and the removal of key judicial figures, underscoring the regime’s determination to survive beyond electoral defeat.
