Hungarys president signs term-ending amendment as new government curbs Orbán allies

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Hungarys president signs term-ending amendment as new government curbs Orbán allies
Hungarian parliament votes to oust President Sulyok in constitutional overhaul led by PM Magyar
Hungarys Parliament votes to oust President Sulyok, overhaul Orbán-era system
Continuation
Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok signed a constitutional amendment on Saturday that ends his own term, bringing to a close a dispute between him and the country's new government. The amendment, passed by Hungary's parliament earlier this week, was part of new Prime Minister Péter Magyar's efforts to loosen the grip of former leader Viktor Orbán on the country.
Sulyok, an ally of Orbán, had until Saturday night to agree to end his term. He signed the amendment on the final day of the deadline, stating that he did not agree with it but felt he had no other choice. "The next President of Hungary will be the President who violated the constitutional values. The institution of the President of the Republic and the principle of power distribution have been trampled on for the sake of power," Sulyok said in a video message posted on Facebook.
Magyar, whose Tisza party won a majority in the country's April elections, has described Sulyok as an ally of the ousted leader and accused him of covering up abuses of power by the Orbán regime. The new government has taken a more pro-European position than its predecessors, with Orbán widely regarded as one of the most Russia-friendly leaders in Europe.
The constitutional amendment also includes other reforms, such as setting up an office aimed at investigating financial abuses under the Orbán government and imposing a 12-year term limit for members of Hungary's parliament. The country's national assembly must now elect a new president within 30 days, with Ágnes Forsthoffer, Speaker of the National Assembly, temporarily discharging the duties of the presidency.
In a post to X, Magyar said, "Following ratification by Tamás Sulyok, the final obstacle has been cleared, allowing our joint decisions to enter into force. The current presidential term has been brought to an end, the Constitutional Court is freed from political influence, judicial self-governance is strengthened, and the constitutional basis for establishing the National Asset Recovery and Protection Office has been created."
Orbán responded to Sulyok's signing of the amendment by writing on Facebook that "tyranny is no longer a threat, but a reality." "If this could be done to the president of the republic, then tomorrow no one will be safe," he added.
Sulyok's term will officially end at midnight on Monday, July 20, 2026. The new government has been working to dismantle what it calls Orbán's "mafia" by removing numerous political appointees and heads of institutions viewed as having facilitated Orbán's autocratic government.
The amendment was passed by Hungary's parliament on Monday, July 17, 2026, and Sulyok had five days to sign it. The new government has also suspended the news service of Hungary’s public television and radio, which Magyar has argued served as a "propaganda factory" for Orbán’s party, and shuttered Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office, an authority seen by Orbán’s opponents as a tool for intimidating critics and silencing independent media.
The constitutional amendment will also establish a term limit of 12 years for members of Hungary's parliament. The country's national assembly must now elect a new president within 30 days, Magyar said, adding that "Ágnes Forsthoffer, Speaker of the National Assembly, will temporarily discharge the duties of the presidency."
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Orbán responded to Sulyok's signing of the amendment by writing that "tyranny is no longer a threat, but a reality." "If this could be done to the president of the republic, then tomorrow no one will be safe," Orbán wrote.
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