Hungary’s Tisza parliamentary group has nominated Dr. Pál Sonnevend, one of the country’s leading constitutional law scholars, to fill the vacant seat on the Constitutional Court following the end of Csaba Hende’s mandate.
Tisza nominates a leading constitutional law scholar
The nomination was announced after Parliament’s Committee on Justice and Constitutional Affairs invited parliamentary groups to propose candidates for the vacancy. According to Tisza, the party’s parliamentary leader, Andrea Bujdosó, formally submitted Sonnevend’s name to the committee on Friday.
Sonnevend is the head of department at the Faculty of Law of Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) and previously served as the faculty’s dean. Tisza described him as an internationally recognised expert in constitutional and international law with decades of experience in both academia and public service.
He used to work with former presidents
During his career, he worked at Hungary’s Constitutional Court alongside former President László Sólyom, one of the country’s most influential constitutional lawyers. He later served as a constitutional law adviser to former Presidents Ferenc Mádl and László Sólyom.
His academic work focuses on human rights, international law and the rule of law. Sonnevend has also represented Hungary before the International Court of Justice in The Hague and has appeared in cases before both the European Court of Human Rights and the Court of Justice of the European Union.
According to Tisza, his professional achievements have earned him recognition both in Hungary and internationally.
Tisza claims judges should answer only to the law
In a Facebook post announcing the nomination, Prime Minister Péter Magyar said the Constitutional Court’s role is to protect Hungary’s Fundamental Law, limit the exercise of state power and safeguard citizens’ fundamental rights.
He argued that the party had deliberately selected a candidate whose “professional competence, international reputation and constitutional commitment are beyond question”.
Magyar added that Hungary needs constitutional judges who make their decisions “solely on the basis of the law, their conscience and constitutional values”, describing Sonnevend’s nomination as reflecting that principle.
Election could come within days
Under Hungarian law, Parliament has up to 60 days to elect a new member of the Constitutional Court following a vacancy. However, the vote could reportedly take place as early as Monday, significantly earlier than the legal deadline.
Stay up-to date: Orbán changes tone at Tusványos — Fidesz recast its role as “resistance politics” shifts into gear
The prospect of such a rapid appointment has already drawn criticism from Amnesty International Hungary, which issued a statement before the nominee’s identity was announced.
The human rights organisation argued that there was no justification for the accelerated timetable, noting that the 60-day period exists to allow for broad professional and political consultations to identify the most suitable candidate.
Amnesty worded harsh criticism
Amnesty also claimed that the current procedure effectively eliminates even the limited consultation provided for under existing rules, arguing that it mirrors previous constitutional court appointments carried out without meaningful cross-party or professional consultation.
Read also: Other public institution, state-owned company heads dismissed by Magyar government — names revealed
