Hungarys PM moves to oust president, stripping office of powers in constitutional overhaul

Hungary’s Prime Minister Péter Magyar moved Thursday to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office by amending the constitution, a step critics say would set a dangerous precedent for the country’s democratic institutions. The proposal, unveiled the same day, would strip the largely ceremonial presidency of its remaining powers and replace Sulyok, who was elected in 2024 under the outgoing Orbán administration. Legal experts and human-rights groups warned that the move risks undermining constitutional checks and balances and could further erode public trust in Hungary’s judiciary and electoral system.

Magyar, who took office in April 2026 after his party won a surprise majority, defended the plan as a necessary correction to what he calls a “democratically deficient” system. In a televised address broadcast late Wednesday, he invoked the concept of “democratic will” to justify the constitutional overhaul, arguing that the presidency had become an obstacle to the government’s reform agenda. “The people have spoken, and their representatives must act,” Magyar said, without specifying a timeline for the amendment’s passage.

The announcement triggered immediate backlash from opposition parties and civil-society groups. On Thursday, Budapest-based rights organisations issued a joint statement calling the proposal “a frontal assault on Hungary’s constitutional order.” Reuters reported that the coalition of NGOs, including the Hungarian Helsinki Committee and the Eötvös Károly Institute, warned that removing Sulyok without a public referendum would violate European democratic standards .

Political analysts noted that the move aligns with Magyar’s broader campaign to dismantle the legacy of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, under whom Sulyok was elected. “This is not just about one office; it’s about who controls the levers of power in Hungary,” said political scientist Gábor Török, whose unusually sharp criticism of the government drew a rare public response from Magyar on Thursday. In a brief statement, the prime minister acknowledged Török’s concerns but reiterated his commitment to “cleansing” the system of what he described as entrenched corruption and authoritarian practices.

The constitutional amendment requires a two-thirds majority in parliament, where Magyar’s party holds 60 percent of seats. Analysts say the proposal could face resistance from within his own coalition, particularly from lawmakers wary of further destabilising Hungary’s international standing. European diplomats have privately expressed concern that the plan could trigger EU sanctions under the bloc’s rule-of-law mechanism, which has already frozen billions in cohesion funds over previous Hungarian violations.

Meanwhile, cultural figures weighed in on the political turbulence. Film director Gábor Herendi, whose latest project is being produced without direct state funding, told HVG on Thursday that he believes the current upheaval will ultimately benefit Hungary’s creative sector by forcing greater independence from government patronage. “We are feeling the weight of democracy right now, but we must see it through,” Herendi said.