Hungary

Hungary Passes Amendment to End President's Mandate

Was removing Tamás Sulyok a necessary democratic correction or a dangerous abuse of constitutional power?

Published 3 days ago

Hungary Passes Amendment to End President's Mandate

story

Above: Lawmakers approve the 17th Constitutional Amendment in the Hungarian Parliament in Budapest on July 13, 2026. Image credit: Balint Szentgallay/NurPhoto/Getty Images

The Spin

Left narrative

Keeping Sulyok in office after a democratic transition had left Fidesz's institutional grip firmly in place is the problem the 17th amendment aims to fix. Sulyok actively worked against EU integration, resisted aid to Ukraine and upheld policies the new government was elected to reverse. Orbán's refusal to recognize the incoming president as legitimate, while offering zero specifics on what "resistance" means, exposed Fidesz as unwilling to accept democratic outcomes it doesn't control.

Péter Magyar on X 444.hu

Right narrative

Removing Sulyok by amending the Fundamental Law bypasses the legal safeguards that exist for exactly this kind of situation. The process lacked proper procedural guarantees — and the move causes more damage than it prevents. Rushing a constitutional amendment through with a shortened comment period is raw political power unleashed in the name of democratic reforms.

Daily News Hungary

Lord Bebo on X