Hungarian opposition protests proposed constitutional amendment
The governing parties Fidesz and KDNP organized a mass demonstration called “Stop Önkény” on 8 July 2026 in front of the Sándor Palace in Budapest, protesting the government’s draft 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law. The amendment would end President Sulyok Tamás’s mandate, impose a 12‑year term limit on MPs, raise the age limit for constitutional judges to 70, abolish the Constitutional Court’s current powers and create a National Asset Recovery Office.
Thousands of demonstrators gathered; former president Áder János called the proposal “an attack on the rule of law”. Prime Minister‑designate Magyar Péter and other ministers defended the changes as necessary for a transitional period toward a new constitution. After the protest, Prime Minister‑former Viktor Orbán posted a video, claiming the events marked a “step up of autocratic rule”.
In Parliament the amendment debate lasted more than ten hours. Fidesz‑KDNP announced a boycott of both the detailed debate and the final vote, describing the changes as unprecedented attacks on democracy and Hungary’s EU commitments. Reports of the protest appeared in Slovak and Serbian media, underscoring the domestic and regional attention the constitutional overhaul has drawn.