Hungary approves constitutional move to oust President Tamás Sulyok

Hungary’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment that would immediately end President Tamás Sulyok’s term if he signs it, in a 139-6 vote.

The measure passed in the 199-member chamber after Fidesz and its allied KDNP party boycotted the vote. Peter Magyar, whose Tisza Party won a landslide victory in April 2026 and secured the two-thirds majority needed to rewrite the constitution, said parliament will begin impeachment proceedings if Sulyok does not sign within five days.

The amendment is the 17th change to Hungary’s constitution and gives parliament a new path to choose a president. Under the measure, lawmakers would elect a replacement within 30 days, or keep one in place until a new constitution takes effect, for up to five years. It also includes a 12-year term limit for lawmakers and restores a mandatory retirement age of 70 for Constitutional Court judges.

Four current constitutional court justices, including court president Péter Polt, would be removed under the package. Critics say the changes could block more than half of the current opposition lawmakers from running in the next parliamentary election, shrinking the field before the next national vote. Fidesz has denounced the effort as the end of constitutional democracy and the start of autocracy in Hungary.

Sulyok, who spent 10 years as a Constitutional Court judge before becoming president in 2024, has refused to resign and warned that forcing him out would trigger a constitutional crisis. He has asked the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe to review the amendment. The commission has declined to comment.

Last Thursday, supporters of Orban’s party held a protest in Budapest backing Sulyok, while opposition figures said the real target was not only the presidency but the Constitutional Court itself and the limits on political competition. Magyar said in parliament that his party had received a mandate to reverse the legacy of Fidesz and that work on a new constitution would begin in the autumn.