Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok's Mandate Ends with Constitutional Amendment
Seventeenth Amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law Brings Presidential Term to a Close
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- Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok’s term has ended following his signing of the 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law, which forces his resignation.
- The amendment, backed by the Tisza Party’s two-thirds majority, introduces various constitutional changes including term limits for MPs and judges, and alters the selection process for key judicial positions.
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Warum es wichtig ist
The amendment follows the Tisza Party’s gain of a two-thirds majority, enabling sweeping constitutional changes.
Tamás Sulyok has signed the seventeenth amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law, ending his presidential mandate. The amendment, passed with a two-thirds majority by the Tisza Party, forces his resignation and introduces several constitutional changes.
In a Facebook speech, Sulyok criticized the amendment as an unprecedented attack on the rule of law and democratic institutions, yet acknowledged his legal obligation to sign it. The changes include a 12-year term limit for parliamentary mandates, a maximum age of 70 for constitutional judges, and altered selection processes for key judicial positions.
Ágnes Forsthoffer, Speaker of the National Assembly, will serve as interim president until a new head of state is elected. The amendment also restores the Constitutional Court’s review powers, previously curtailed, and establishes a National Asset Recovery Office.
The Tisza Party’s Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, had urged Sulyok and other institution heads to resign, accusing them of being puppets of the previous Orbán government. The amendment passed with 139 votes for and 6 against, with Fidesz and KDNP boycotting the vote.
The government pledges to draft a new constitution based on popular sovereignty and the rule of law following broad consultations.
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Increased political tensions and potential for further constitutional changes
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Offene Fragen
- How will the opposition respond to the constitutional changes?
