Hungary’s main opposition party, Fidesz, has sharply condemned the government’s proposed 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law, with parliamentary group leader Gergely Gulyás describing it as “the end of constitutional democracy and the beginning of authoritarian rule in Hungary.”
The statement came on Saturday afternoon after Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that his government had formally submitted the constitutional amendment to Parliament.
Gulyás: ‘This is not simply crossing a line’
In a Facebook post, Gulyás argued that the proposed amendment would remove President Tamás Sulyok from office for political reasons despite his legally valid constitutional mandate. He also claimed the proposal would effectively “decapitate the Constitutional Court”, restrict democratic elections and prevent more than half of the current opposition MPs from standing in future elections.
“This is not simply crossing a line,” Gulyás wrote.
According to the Fidesz politician, if Parliament can remove the president, reshape the Constitutional Court and limit the parliamentary opposition in this way, “then from now on, anything can be done to anyone in Hungary.”
Fidesz compares proposal with previous governments
Gulyás noted that Hungary is currently in its tenth parliamentary term since the democratic transition and that governments have held a two-thirds constitutional majority on six occasions. He argued that no previous government had attempted to remove a sitting president, dismiss Constitutional Court judges or prevent opposition politicians from participating in democratic elections.
“This is not merely a violation of the rule of law: it is its end,” he said.
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Fidesz to discuss response on Monday
Gulyás announced that the Fidesz parliamentary group will meet on Monday to discuss possible responses to what the party describes as a constitutional crisis. The proposed constitutional amendment has already caused political debate. Supporters of the government argue the changes are necessary to fulfil promises made before the election and to reform state institutions, while critics, including former President János Áder, have warned that the proposal could undermine Hungary’s constitutional order.
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