Hungary’s President Tamas Sulyok has formally stepped down after signing a constitutional amendment that immediately ends his own term. In a widely noted farewell speech, he directs sharp criticism at the new government under Prime Minister Peter Magyar and warns that the development represents a serious departure from the principles of the rule of law.

Sulyok’s resignation is part of the sweeping transformation that Péter Magyar’s government has carried out since his party Tisza achieved a landslide victory earlier this year, ending Viktor Orban’s 16 years in power. The government argues that the changes are necessary to break the former Fidesz regime’s influence over state institutions, while the opposition describes them as political purges.

Although Sulyok signed the constitutional amendment, he emphasized that he did so because the law was formally adopted by parliament—not because he considered it legitimate.

In his farewell statement, he described the decision as a historic crossroads for Hungary.

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“The seventeenth constitutional amendment marks a decisive crossroads in Hungary’s constitutional democracy. By dismissing public officials in a manner that openly breaks with rule of law principles, a negative precedent is set which inflicts a deep wound on democracy, separation of powers and rule of law,” wrote Sulyok.

He also described the decision to remove the sitting president with a single sentence in the constitution as “a shameful historic example of abuse of political power.”

Wants to Dismantle Orban’s Power Structure

Prime Minister Peter Magyar has defended the reforms, saying that voters gave him a clear mandate to dismantle the institutions and power structures built up during Viktor Orban’s lengthy rule. According to the government, the changes are meant to restore democratic accountability and ensure that the state once again serves the citizens.

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In connection with Sulyok’s resignation, Magyar announced that the speaker of parliament will temporarily assume the presidency until a new president is elected. He has also indicated that former chess world star Judit Polgar is his first choice for the position.

The constitutional amendment also introduces a twelve-year term limit for members of parliament and lowers the retirement age for judges of the Constitutional Court to 70, which also means that the court’s president, Peter Polt, steps down.

Orban Strikes Back

Former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has reacted strongly to the developments, describing the government’s actions as an attack on the entire constitutional system.

Already when parliament adopted the constitutional amendment, Orban warned that the removal of the president would create a dangerous precedent and claimed that the country had a right to resist what he called tyrannical exercise of power.

Political Breaking Point in Hungary

Sulyok’s resignation marks yet another step in the significant political transformation that has followed the change of government this spring. With its two-thirds majority in parliament, Peter Magyar’s government is able to amend the constitution without support from the opposition and has already launched a series of reforms aimed at dismantling institutions and appointments from the Orban era.

The government describes these measures as a return to democratic oversight and accountability, while Fidesz and Viktor Orban argue that, on the contrary, they weaken the safeguards of the rule of law and concentrate political power in the hands of the new government.

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