In brief
Hungary’s new Tisza‑aligned government used its two‑thirds majority to pass the 17th constitutional amendment, ending President Tamás Sulyok’s term and stripping some Constitutional Court judges over 70 of their duties. Opposition MPs fled the chamber to protest the move, warning of authoritarian tendencies. Sulyok faces five days to sign the amendment or refer it to the Court, triggering possible impeachment by PM Péter Magyar. The amendment also bars MPs who have served three terms from re‑election, affecting over half the former Fidesz cohort. Former Supreme Court chief András Baka likened the package to a systematic dismantling of rule‑of‑law institutions that Fidesz established in 2011. The power shift follows Viktor Orbán’s 16‑year rule and a landslide defeat in April, leaving his party’s leadership in flux as Orbán stays largely out of the public eye.
Péter Magyar (left) calls for the president to resign after the landslide victory of the opposition on 12 April.
In a decisive vote that used the Tisza party’s two‑thirds majority, Hungary’s parliament approved the 17th constitutional amendment, effectively terminating President Tamás Sulyok’s term. The amendment also removes certain Constitutional Court judges over 70 and bars MPs who have served three terms from standing again.
The move follows the opposition’s landslide win in the April election, which saw former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party suffer a historic defeat. With the new government in place, PM Péter Magyar urged Sulyok to sign the amendment within five days or face an automatic suspension if the President contested it in court.
Opposition members of the ruined Fidesz party walked out of the chamber before the vote, accusing the Tisza leadership of plotting a tyrannical agenda that could revoke any public office holder’s authority at will.
The package also provisions a term limit for parliamentarians, which will deprive several long‑standing Fidesz MPs of the chance to run again. “This restricts voters’ right to choose,” said former Supreme Court head András Baka.
Since the 2011 constitution, Fidesz has reshaped the state, installing loyalists in key positions. The current amendment marks a step toward dismantling that structure, according to observers.
With orbital politics in disarray—Orbán remains absent from public appearances and has refused a parliamentary seat—Hungary now faces a rapidly shifting power balance that could redefine its democratic institutions.
