Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has agreed to step down, signing a constitutional amendment that will end his presidency at midnight on Sunday.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s Tisza party used its parliamentary majority to push the law change through with swift votes, portraying Sulyok as a loyalist of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who lost power in April after 16 years.
Sulyok had five days to sign the amendment or face a protracted constitutional crisis and impeachment proceedings. He confirmed his agreement on Saturday evening, but denounced Magyar’s government as violating the rule of law.
The amendment not only removes Sulyok from office but also removes the head of the Constitutional Court, Péter Polt, expels judges over 70, and bars deputies who have served three terms from standing again – a restriction affecting more than half the current Fidesz deputies.
Since the April election, the Tisza government has enacted several sweeping constitutional changes, with Orbán describing the amendment as an act of tyranny and calling for protests. His party’s decline has been dramatic – Orbán himself has largely stayed out of public view and has refused to take his seat in parliament.
