Hungary’s Parliament on Tuesday began debating the government’s proposed 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law, with Justice Minister Márta Görög describing the package as a key milestone in restoring constitutional democracy and the rule of law after what she called 16 years of institutional decline.
According to the minister, the amendment would not only reform key state institutions but also pave the way for drafting a completely new constitution that reflects democratic traditions, protects fundamental rights and represents the unity of the nation.
Government says constitutional checks and balances must be rebuilt
Presenting the proposal in Parliament, Görög argued that while Hungary’s constitutional system formally remained in place over the past 16 years, its institutions gradually lost their independence.
She claimed that constitutional bodies increasingly acted according to a single political will rather than fulfilling their independent constitutional roles, resulting in weakened checks and balances and diminished institutional autonomy. The minister said voters had given Parliament a clear democratic mandate in the April election to overhaul Hungary’s constitutional framework.
Proposal would remove current president and limit parliamentary terms
One of the amendment’s most controversial elements would terminate the mandate of the current President of the Republic, Tamás Sulyok, allowing Parliament to elect a new head of state who would serve until a new constitution enters into force, but for no longer than five years.
The government argues that the change is necessary to ensure the president can genuinely fulfil the constitutional role of representing national unity and safeguarding democratic institutions.
The package would also introduce a 12-year limit on serving as an MP, equivalent to three parliamentary terms. Görög said the measure would not restrict democratic participation but instead broaden opportunities by making it easier for new candidates to enter Parliament.
If you missed it: What did Hungarian President Sulyok ask the Venice Commission? His full appeal revealed
Major judicial reforms included
The proposed amendment also contains significant changes to Hungary’s judicial system. According to the justice minister:
- judges would gain a direct role in selecting the heads of the National Office for the Judiciary (OBH) and the Curia, Hungary’s supreme court;
- the mandates of both offices would be reduced to six years;
- Constitutional Court reforms would restore the retirement age of 70, reintroduce nine-year mandates, revise the rules for electing the court’s president and remove previous restrictions on the court’s powers.
Görög said these measures would strengthen judicial independence and restore effective constitutional review.
New asset recovery office planned
The amendment would also establish a National Asset Recovery and Asset Protection Office, tasked with protecting public assets and recovering public wealth allegedly used unlawfully. According to the minister, the office is intended to tackle the misuse of public funds and improve transparency in public finances.
Other proposed changes include restoring the historical name “county” instead of “county-level administrative district”, abolishing the Parliamentary Guard, reducing the scope of laws requiring a two-thirds majority, and removing the Budget Council’s veto power over the annual budget.
Parliament also approves committee on communist-era secret police files
In a separate vote on Tuesday, Parliament approved legislation establishing an advisory committee to assist in reviewing classified documents related to Hungary’s communist-era state security services. The bill, submitted by Márton Melléthei-Barna (Tisza), passed with 180 votes in favour, no votes against and eight abstentions. The new 13-member committee will include:
- a chairperson,
- eight independent civil experts,
- four members with national security experience.
Its task will be to assist authorities in reviewing classified files and provide recommendations while informing the public about the process. All members will undergo national security vetting, while the independent experts will receive remuneration for their work.
Read more about the secret files: Important government announcement: constitutional amendment and secret service files on the cabinet agenda
Political clashes dominate parliamentary debate
Tuesday’s parliamentary session also featured heated exchanges between government and opposition politicians. Opposition figures, including Bence Rétvári (KDNP) and Gergely Gulyás (Fidesz), accused the government of dismantling democratic institutions through what they described as “personalised legislation”, pointing to proposals to remove President Sulyok, impose term limits on MPs and reshape the Constitutional Court.
Government representatives rejected the criticism, arguing that the reforms are necessary to dismantle what they described as the political structures built during the previous administration and to restore democratic accountability.
