Hungarian President Has Decided To Step Down After Parliamentary Vote

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has decided to resign following the parliament’s decisive approval of a constitutional amendment that brings his presidency to an end.

Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has consented to resign following parliament’s approval of a constitutional amendment that removes him from office, bringing an end to a political impasse that ensued after the country’s recent governmental transition.

Sulyok confirmed he would sign the amendment before the constitutional deadline, officially concluding his presidency at midnight on Sunday.

The amendment was advanced in parliament by Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s Tisza party, which assumed power in April following the defeat of the long-standing administration of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

The government contended that Sulyok, often considered a supporter of Orbán, had diminished public trust and ought to resign from his position.

While he consented to the amendment, Sulyok expressed criticism of the government’s actions, alleging that they were eroding Hungary’s constitutional order.

In a statement, he remarked, “The amendment marked a turning point in Hungarian constitutional democracy and asserted that the fundamental values of a free society have been disregarded in the pursuit of political power.”

The constitutional amendment, which received broad support on Monday, officially concludes Sulyok’s tenure due to a significant loss of confidence.

The legislation additionally dismisses the head of Hungary’s Constitutional Court and prohibits lawmakers who have completed three parliamentary terms from pursuing re-election, a measure that impacts over half of the current legislators from Orbán’s Fidesz party.

Orbán denounced the amendment as a tyrannical act and called on his supporters to take to the streets in protest.

Since its significant electoral loss in April, his Fidesz party has faced challenges, with the former prime minister maintaining a subdued public presence and opting not to assume his parliamentary seat.

From 2010 to 2026, Fidesz governed Hungary, utilizing its parliamentary supermajority to transform state institutions and place loyalists in significant public positions.

After the vote, members of the ruling Tisza party expressed their approval of the amendment’s passage with applause, while former Hungarian Supreme Court president András Baka stood in defense of the decision.

Baka informed the reporters. “I completely support the decision to remove the president.”