Hungary’s president, Tamás Sulyok, has agreed to resign after signing a constitutional amendment passed by the ruling Tisza party of Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The amendment ends Sulyok’s term immediately, citing a “serious loss of public confidence” in a leader who was elected in early 2024 by lawmakers from former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s nationalist Fidesz party.
Sulyok said he had no choice but to approve the legislation because he respects the law. However, the former constitutional court judge warned that the reform had damaged the rule of law in Hungary. He stated on Saturday: “The seventeenth amendment to the constitution has marked a turning point in Hungary’s constitutional democracy. By removing public officials in a way that openly violates the rule of law… it sets a bad example that deeply harms the democratic values of the constitution, the separation of powers, and the rule of law.”
The legislation was part of Magyar’s effort to dismantle the power structures of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, after he defeated the right-wing leader in a landslide election in April. Orbán, who critics say weakened democratic institutions during his 16 years in power, criticized the reforms on Facebook. He said: “Tyranny is no longer a threat but a reality. If this can happen to the president, tomorrow no one will be safe.”
Fidesz has seen a series of high-profile resignations and a drop in public support since its election defeat in April. Parliament, where Magyar’s center-right Tisza party holds a two-thirds majority that allows it to change any laws, will elect a new president who will serve until a new constitution takes effect, or for a maximum of five years.
After Sulyok signed the amendment, Magyar said that Parliament Speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer would take over as interim president from Monday. “With these decisions, we are restoring something that the Orbán regime spent years trying to take away from the Hungarian people,” Magyar said in a Facebook post. “The certainty that power can be limited, that public assets can be recovered, and that the state can once again serve its citizens frees the Hungarian people.”
The amendment also imposes a 12-year term limit on lawmakers and sets a retirement age of 70 for constitutional court judges, which will force the court’s current president, Orbán ally Péter Polt, to retire, according to Reuters. Magyar had repeatedly called on Sulyok to step down, accusing him of failing to represent national unity on key issues and of serving the interests of Orbán and his government.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs about the Hungarian president stepping down
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 Who is the president of Hungary
The president was Katalin Novák She resigned in February 2024
2 Why did the president resign
She resigned after a scandal involving a pardon she granted to a man convicted of covering up child sexual abuse in a staterun childrens home
3 Did a change in the law force her to step down
No To be precise the change in the law created the situation that led to the scandal She resigned because of public outrage over the pardon not because a new law directly ended her term
4 Is this the first time a Hungarian president has resigned
Yes Katalin Novák is the first Hungarian president to resign from office
5 Who is the new president now
After her resignation the speaker of parliament became acting president A new president Tamás Sulyok was elected by parliament in March 2024
AdvancedLevel Questions
6 What exactly was the change in the law that you mentioned
In April 2023 Hungarys parliament passed a law that changed the rules for granting presidential pardons It gave the president more authority to pardon people including for crimes against children President Novák used this new power to pardon the deputy director of a childrens home who had been sentenced for pressuring victims to retract their abuse claims
7 Why was the pardon such a big problem
The pardon was seen as protecting a person who helped cover up child sexual abuse This sparked massive public protests especially after it was revealed that the pardon was signed just as the Pope was visiting Hungary The scandal damaged the ruling partys family protection image
8 What happens to the presidents powers after a resignation
The powers of the presidency immediately transfer to the Speaker of the National Assembly who serves as acting president until a new president is elected by parliament
9 Is the president of Hungary directly elected by the people
No The president is elected by a twothirds majority vote in the National Assembly This is why the resignation was a political event within the ruling party not a public election
