started · updated
Hungarian Parliament votes to dismiss President Tamás Sulyok
On Monday, 13 July 2026, the Hungarian National Assembly approved the 17th amendment to the Constitution with a two‑thirds majority. The amendment terminates the mandate of President Tamás Sulyok, giving him five days to sign the law; if he does not, a removal procedure will be launched. Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced the change, accusing the former Orbán‑era of “mafia‑like” control and saying the revision is part of a “clean‑up” of state institutions.
The amendment also introduces a 12‑year (or three‑term) limit for MPs, reinstates a 70‑year age ceiling for constitutional judges, allows the chief judges of the Supreme Court and the National Court to be recalled by their peers, and creates a National Asset Recovery Office to retrieve assets alleged to have been misappropriated during the Orbán years. It limits the prime‑ministerial term to two four‑year mandates and caps the future president’s term at five years, with the parliament required to elect a new head of state within 30 days after the law takes effect.
Fidesz and KDNP boycotted the vote, and several protests were organised against the package, which has drawn criticism from human‑rights groups and legal experts who warn it may undermine the rule of law. The change marks a decisive break from the previous regime and reshapes Hungary’s constitutional framework.