Hungary’s Magyar Threatens Legal Move to Remove President Sulyok

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Monday, June 1, that his government would launch legal proceedings to remove President Tamas Sulyok from office if Sulyok does not resign. Magyar spoke after meeting Sulyok in Budapest. He has accused the president of failing to represent national unity and of serving the interests of former Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Orban’s government.

Magyar’s center-right Tisza party won a landslide election victory in April, ousting Orban. The new administration has pledged to replace several figures appointed by Orban to key public positions over the past 16 years.

Magyar said he told Sulyok that if he maintains his stance and refuses to step down, he will inform Tisza lawmakers about the government’s legislative proposals and immediately begin the necessary procedures. Sulyok was elected in early 2024 by lawmakers from Orban’s Fidesz party and has refused to resign, officials said.

Magyar said the legislative process would take about a month and would involve using his party’s two-thirds parliamentary majority to amend the constitution and other legislation to force Sulyok from office. In remarks reported by local officials, Magyar also said the government intended to remove figures he described as having taken part in dismantling the rule of law and democracy.

Fidesz rejects the ultimatum

Fidesz criticized Magyar’s threat as an “unlawful ultimatum” and said Sulyok is fulfilling a lawful mandate that runs until 2029. The party said the president cannot be removed from office under the current framework.

The dispute highlights a widening institutional confrontation after the April election result. Magyar has signaled that his government will move quickly to change laws and personnel tied to the previous administration, while Fidesz argues those positions are protected by existing mandates.

Why the presidency still matters

The presidency in Hungary is largely ceremonial, but Sulyok can refer laws back to parliament for reconsideration or send legislation to the Constitutional Court. Those powers could slow or block parts of Magyar’s reform agenda, even if his party retains a strong parliamentary majority.

Lawmakers are expected to face initial proposals in the coming days, with the timeline for any removal effort depending on how quickly the government can move constitutional and legislative changes through parliament.