Hungary's Fidesz suffers internal blowback over presidential succession

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party is confronting a sharp internal dispute after Minister Sulyok Tamás signed a constitutional amendment that terminated his own appointment as president of the republic. The move has been described by analysts as a “complete failure” for Fidesz and has sparked contradictory statements from senior party figures.

Analyst Róna Dániel noted that Sulyok’s decision appeared “hopeless” and signaled a loss of confidence in the party’s strategy, while internal party communications revealed a wave of criticism and sarcasm on a long‑running mailing list, with members mocking the day’s outcome as not being won by politician Magyar Péter. The episode highlights growing friction within the party, with other ministers such as Gulyás Gergely and Szijjártó Péter reportedly distancing themselves from Orbán’s directives.