Hungary’s Parliament on Monday evening approved the 17th amendment to the country’s Fundamental Law, introducing one of the most far-reaching constitutional overhauls since the new Tisza-led government took office.

Hungarian Parliament voted to remove president Sulyok from office

The package, adopted by 139 votes to six, restructures several key state institutions, introduces parliamentary term limits, and would bring an early end to the mandates of President Tamás Sulyok and several Constitutional Court judges once it enters into force.

The governing coalition described the changes as a necessary step towards dismantling what it called the institutional legacy of the previous Fidesz administration, while Fidesz condemned the amendments as an attack on Hungary’s constitutional order and boycotted Monday’s parliamentary sitting.

President’s mandate to end after law takes effect

The most controversial provision would terminate the mandate of President Tamás Sulyok on the day after the amendment enters into force, provided he signs the legislation. Parliament would then be required to elect a new head of state within 30 days.

According to Telex, Prime Minister Péter Magyar defended the move in Parliament, arguing that the president had failed to represent the unity of the nation and had consistently served the interests of the previous Orbán government.

According to Magyar, the constitutional changes fulfil the two-thirds mandate his party received in April’s parliamentary election and mark the beginning of a broader constitutional renewal process involving public consultation.

Sulyok has strongly opposed the proposal in recent weeks, arguing that it raises serious constitutional concerns. He previously appealed both to Hungary’s Constitutional Court and to the Council of Europe’s advisory body on constitutional law, the Venice Commission.

Venice Commission postpones review

Although the President requested an urgent opinion from the Venice Commission regarding the amendment, the body decided not to accelerate the procedure. According to a statement from the Presidential Office, the Commission will instead examine the matter during its October session, reports 444.hu.

The Presidency argued that Parliament should have waited for the Commission’s opinion before adopting such an extraordinary constitutional measure. Sulyok had submitted questions concerning the constitutional removal of a sitting president before the government published the final amendment. Meanwhile, Hungary’s Constitutional Court did not place the President’s request on its agenda.

Constitutional Court and judiciary also affected

The amendment introduces significant changes to the Constitutional Court. A mandatory retirement age of 70 will once again apply to constitutional judges, resulting in the departure of four judges, including former Prosecutor General Péter Polt, two months after the amendment takes effect.

The court’s judges will once again elect their own president for a three-year term, replacing the current system under which Parliament appoints the court’s president. Constitutional judges’ terms will also be shortened from 12 to nine years. In addition, the Constitutional Court regains its authority to review certain budgetary and taxation matters, powers that had been restricted since 2011.

The package also strengthens the role of judges in appointing and dismissing the presidents of the National Office for the Judiciary and the Curia, Hungary’s supreme court. Their mandates will be reduced from nine to six years, and reappointment will no longer be permitted.

Parliamentary term limits introduced

Another major reform introduces a 12-year limit for members of Parliament. Politicians who have already served three parliamentary terms will no longer be eligible to stand in future elections. The government argues that the measure will encourage political renewal, broaden democratic representation and prevent entrenched political structures from becoming permanent.

Fidesz, however, claims the provision unfairly excludes many experienced opposition politicians from future elections. Former Fidesz parliamentary group leader Gergely Gulyás resigned from his post ahead of the vote, saying the party should be led by someone who remains eligible to stand for Parliament.

Other institutional reforms

The amendment also creates the constitutional basis for establishing a new National Asset Recovery and Protection Office, tasked with protecting public assets and recovering allegedly misused state property. The new body will receive investigative and prosecutorial powers, with its leadership elected by a two-thirds parliamentary majority.

Several additional institutional changes were approved, including abolishing the Parliamentary Guard, removing the Budget Council’s veto over the state budget, and reducing the number of laws requiring a two-thirds parliamentary majority. In a symbolic move, Hungary will officially revert from using the term vármegye to the modern county from 1 October, reversing a change introduced by the previous Fidesz government in 2022.

Stay up-to-date: PM Péter Magyar accuses Fidesz of blocking constitutional amendment, warns of action against president

Signature still required

The constitutional amendment has not yet entered into force. Under Hungarian law, President Sulyok has five days to decide whether to sign the legislation. He may request a procedural review by the Constitutional Court, although the court is no longer empowered to assess the substantive content of constitutional amendments, following changes introduced in 2013.

If the President signs the law, the new constitutional provisions will begin taking effect according to the timetable laid down in the amendment itself, ushering in one of the most significant constitutional restructurings in Hungary’s recent history.

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