President has once again revoked multiple Hungarian citizenships
Under Hungarian law, the President has the authority to revoke “fraudulently obtained” citizenships based on recommendations from the Minister leading the Prime Minister’s Office. President Tamás Sulyok regularly revokes many Hungarian citizenships. However, following a recent incident concerning the yesterday Russian attack against Transcarpathia, Index reports he is increasingly becoming a liability for the ruling government due to amateur missteps.
Tamás Sulyok was appointed President solely by the ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, following Katalin Novák’s resignation last year. With a comfortable two-thirds majority in Parliament, the body that elects the President under Hungarian law, the party alliance was able to install Sulyok without opposition.
Several people lose Hungarian citizenship
According to the Official Gazette, eight individuals had a particularly bad day, as all of them lost their Hungarian citizenship. Most appear to have gained citizenship through the simplified naturalisation process. Three are from Transcarpathia, one each from Vojvodina and Partium, plus a Serbian woman, a Ukrainian man, and a Brazilian woman.
The publication only lists three pieces of information for each: name, place, and date of birth. The justification is always the same: unlawfully obtained citizenship. According to Hungarian law, this can include providing false information or omitting vital facts in order to mislead authorities. For example, some may memorise the required oath in Hungarian without understanding the language. In the past, there were cases where officials were bribed to overlook applicants’ lack of Hungarian proficiency.
20-year limit on citizenship revocations
The widespread abuse of simplified Hungarian citizenships, often used for visa-free Schengen travel, and poor bilateral relations led the United States to require visas for every Hungarian citizen born outside the country.
Previously, Sulyok even revoked the citizenship of a then-11-year-old boy, who just celebrated his 12th birthday yesterday.
Interestingly, under current laws, unlawfully obtained Hungarian citizenships can only be revoked within 20 years of acquisition. That means by 2031, the first wave of fraudulent cases (those involving false declarations or bribery) will become untouchable under the law. Of course, the legislation could still be amended.
Silk cord for Sulyok from Orbán?
The pro-government Index asked political analyst Attila Tibor Nagy what consequences President Sulyok’s repeated missteps might have. The question itself raised eyebrows, as Sulyok had been Orbán’s hand-picked candidate and few expected a government-friendly outlet to criticise him, even indirectly.
Nonetheless, that’s precisely what happened. According to Nagy, Sulyok’s blunders are adding up. His most recent embarrassment, removing the word “Russian” from his statement about a missile strike in Transcarpathia, only reinforced perceptions that he’s unfit for the presidency. Orbán could soon ask him to resign, though such a move would most likely come only after a potential 2026 election victory.
Political analyst Gábor Török also weighed in. He noted that Orbán’s post explicitly referencing a Russian missile strike that afternoon could be seen as a friendly slap on the wrist. Török added that messages signaling resignation have been sent from the Prime Minister’s Office in the past to the presidential Sándor Palace.
Read more from us:
- Acquiring Hungarian citizenship: A 2025 guide for foreign students, expats, and tourists
- President Sulyok hesitates to name Russia as perpetrator of Transcarpathian strike
For more articles, click citizenship.
To read or share this article in Hungarian, click here: Helló Magyar