Hungary is facing a profound constitutional and political crisis after the newly elected parliament, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar and his Tisza party, passed a sweeping constitutional amendment designed to systematically purge loyalists of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from key state institutions.
The cornerstone of the amendment, passed on Monday evening, is a single, decisive clause that immediately terminates the mandate of the nation’s sitting President, Tamás Sulyok.
A Forced Resignation or Ouster
The newly passed 17th Constitutional Amendment leaves President Sulyok with a stark ultimatum: sign his own dismissal into law within five days or face an immediate impeachment process.
The text of the amendment leaves no room for ambiguity:
“On the day this constitutional amendment enters into force, the mandate of the President of the Republic shall terminate.”
For Prime Minister Magyar, who won a decisive parliamentary majority in the April 2026 general elections, the move is the fulfillment of a core campaign promise. Magyar has consistently argued that “deep-state” appointees left behind by the Orbán administration—including the president, the chief prosecutor, and top judges—would actively sabotage the democratic mandate of the new government.
Orbán Declares “Right to Resistance”
The legislative move has triggered a furious response from Viktor Orbán, whose Fidesz party ruled Hungary for 16 years before its defeat. Orbán immediately condemned the vote, declaring that his party would not recognize the new measures as lawful.
“Hungary will have the right to resistance if President Tamás Sulyok is forcibly removed from office. We will exercise that right.”
— Viktor Orbán, Former Prime Minister of Hungary
Orbán warned that any president “illegitimately installed” by the current parliament would lack the legal authority to make state decisions, accusing Magyar’s government of employing “aggressive autocratic methods.”
Systemic Purge of the Judiciary and Parliament
The scope of the amendment extends far beyond the presidency, targeting several key pillars of the former administration’s power structure:
- Ustavni Sud (Constitutional Court) Restructuring: The amendment imposes a mandatory retirement age of 70 years for Constitutional Court judges. This rule forces the immediate retirement of Court President Péter Polt—a key Orbán ally—along with three other senior judges.
- Term Limits for Lawmakers: Members of parliament are now restricted to a maximum of 12 years (three terms) in office. This measure will disqualify more than half of Fidesz’s current parliamentary bloc from running in future elections.
- Asset Recovery Agency: A new National Office for the Recovery and Protection of Public Property will be constitutionally established to investigate and reclaim state assets allegedly misappropriated during the Orbán era.
The Battle for the Hungarian State
While the presidency in Hungary is largely ceremonial, it holds vital gatekeeping powers. The president can veto legislation or refer bills to the Constitutional Court for review—mechanisms the Magyar government feared would be weaponized by Orbán-appointed loyalists to paralyze judicial and economic reforms.
| Key Position | Impact of the Amendment | State Function |
| President | Mandate terminated immediately | Signs laws, holds constitutional veto |
| Constitutional Court | Forced retirement of judges over 70 | Rules on the constitutionality of new legislation |
| Fidesz MPs | 12-year term limits applied retrospectively | Legislative opposition to the current government |
While international observers and human rights watchdogs have raised concerns over the speed and unilateral nature of these constitutional changes, Prime Minister Magyar maintains that extraordinary measures are required to dismantle what he terms a “captured state.”
Magyar has signaled that this amendment is only a preliminary step, with plans to initiate a comprehensive redrafting of the entire Hungarian constitution in the autumn of 2026.
