Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has signed a constitutional amendment that immediately ends his own presidency, bringing to a close a constitutional standoff with Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s government while deepening divisions over the direction of Hungary’s democratic institutions.
The amendment, approved by parliament last week using the ruling Tisza party’s two-thirds majority, removes Sulyok from office on the grounds of a “serious loss of public confidence”.
Although the president condemned the measure as contrary to the rule of law, he said the constitution left him with no legal option but to promulgate legislation duly adopted by parliament.
“After carefully weighing my legal options and the dictates of my conscience, I am fulfilling my obligation enshrined in the Fundamental Law. My signing of this document is the final seal of my respect for my duties as President of the Republic and for the office of the President under all circumstances,” Sulyok said in a statement explaining his decision to sign the law.
He nevertheless argued that the amendment damaged legal certainty and the stability of Hungary’s constitutional system.
In recent weeks, Sulyok repeatedly warned that the amendment violated the principles of the rule of law, democracy and the separation of powers.
He sought opinions from the Constitutional Court and the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, arguing that no democratic mandate entitles a government to override fundamental constitutional principles and rights.
The unprecedented move follows months of confrontation between Magyar’s government and institutions appointed during Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power.
Since taking office in May, the new administration has pledged to dismantle what it describes as the entrenched political structures of the Orbán era, arguing that sweeping constitutional reform is necessary to restore checks and balances and rebuild the rule of law.
Besides ending Sulyok’s mandate, the constitutional package introduces a 12-year limit on parliamentary service, imposes a mandatory retirement age of 70 for Constitutional Court judges and restructures several state institutions.
The reforms are among the most far-reaching constitutional changes since Orbán’s Fidesz government adopted Hungary’s Constitution in 2011.
Fidesz and other conservative critics have denounced the reforms as politically motivated and unprecedented in a European democracy.
Former prime minister Viktor Orbán described the measures as “tyranny”, while Fidesz has argued that the government is using its parliamentary supermajority to remove political opponents from office rather than respecting the independence of constitutional institutions.
Senior Fidesz politicians have also criticised the retroactive nature of several reforms, arguing that term limits for MPs and constitutional judges should not apply to mandates already underway.
They contend that changing the rules after elections undermines legal certainty and deprives voters of the right to re-elect experienced representatives.
The party further accuses the European Union of applying double standards. While Brussels frequently criticised constitutional changes under Orbán in the name of the rule of law, Fidesz argues that EU institutions have been largely silent as Magyar’s government rapidly rewrites Hungary’s constitutional order.
According to the former leader of Fidesz’ parliamentary group Gergely Gulyás, the parliamentary majority is removing the president for political reasons, and if this can be done to the head of state, “then from now on, anything can be done to anyone in Hungary.”
In a strongly worded statement published earlier on its own website, even Amnesty International warned that the government’s plan to push through a rapid constitutional amendment to oust Sulyok risks setting a dangerous precedent ignoring the right to a fair trial.
The Magyar government rejects those accusations, insisting the reforms are necessary to dismantle institutions it says were captured by the previous administration.
Magyar has repeatedly argued that Sulyok failed to act as an independent constitutional guardian during Orbán’s premiership and instead legitimised what Tisza describes as years of democratic backsliding. The government says replacing senior office holders appointed under Fidesz is essential to restoring public trust and rebuilding independent institutions.
Supporters of the reforms also note that Tisza won a two-thirds parliamentary majority in April’s election, giving it a constitutional mandate to amend Hungary’s Fundamental Law. They argue that many key state bodies remained dominated by Orbán appointees despite the change of government, limiting the new administration’s ability to implement its programme.
Parliament will elect a new president by means of a secret ballot within thirty days.
Any Hungarian citizen over the age of thirty-five is eligible to be elected president of the republic if they are nominated by at least one-fifth of the members of Parliament.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar will meet with former chess champion Judit Polgar on Monday to ask her if she will serve as the country’s next president.
“Our country needs unity, peace and a president of whom all Hungarians can be proud,” Magyar said in a Facebook post,
Hungary’s Prime Minister has put his head of state to a choice with one outcome: sign the text that removes him, or be removed for refusing. https://t.co/oSlEiZbVri
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) July 15, 2026
