Magyar files constitutional amendment to fire Orbán-allied president

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar on Saturday filed a 12-point proposal to amend the constitution, with a key provision being the termination of President Tamás Sulyok’s term in office. The proposal, announced on social media, also includes imposing a three-term limit for members of parliament, establishing a more independent Constitutional Court, introducing a 70-year age limit for judges, and creating a National Asset Recovery and Asset Protection Office to reclaim funds misappropriated during Viktor Orbán’s rule.

The current head of the Constitutional Court, Péter Polt, is 70, meaning the age limit would effectively end his tenure. Given that Magyar’s Tisza Party holds an overwhelming parliamentary majority, the changes are expected to pass.

In a speech to parliament last month, Magyar announced "Operation Purifying Fire" to root out what he called the "Orbán mafia," stating, "I consider this my main task." The prime minister demanded Sulyok’s resignation immediately after winning the national election. Sulyok, a little-known judge elevated to the presidency in 2024 after his predecessor Katalin Novák resigned over a child sexual abuse scandal, has vowed to remain in office until his term ends in 2029.

The European Commission has promised to release billions of euros in EU funds if Magyar enacts sweeping reforms of the judiciary, anti-corruption safeguards, and public procurement. According to local media, Magyar stated that rebuilding Hungary cannot begin with the country’s most important constitutional dignitary remaining the same person who had "championed the government that dismantled the rule of law." He also announced that the new president would be elected by the National Assembly, possibly as early as this summer.