Hungary's ruling Tisza party has proposed a constitutional amendment that would remove President Tamás Sulyok from office, introduce term limits for MPs and overhaul key elements of the country's political system.
The party, which came to power after defeating Viktor Orbán's government in April, says the reforms are needed to restore constitutional balance and strengthen political representation.
Under the draft legislation, MPs would be subject to a 12-year term limit, a measure supporters say would prevent political stagnation and encourage renewal in public office.
The proposal includes provisions that would immediately end the current president's term, citing a "serious loss of confidence" in the office.
Tamás Sulyok, a former Constitutional Court judge who served as the court's president before becoming head of state in 2024, has maintained that he has no political agenda and sees his role as safeguarding institutional checks and balances.
In Hungary, the presidency has limited executive powers, including the ability to veto legislation or refer laws to the Constitutional Court for review.
The government has defended the proposed changes as part of a broader effort to "restore constitutional democracy".
Prime Minister Péter Magyar described the draft as "fast, tight, self-limiting and precise", insisting the measures had already been outlined to the public.
He also announced plans to invite representatives from the Venice Commission, the Council of Europe's advisory body on constitutional law, to Budapest to review the proposals.
Human rights organisations and legal experts have criticised both the substance of the proposed amendment and the process by which it has been introduced.
Amnesty International Hungary said President Sulyok had become "unworthy of his office", but argued that impeachment would be a more appropriate and transparent mechanism than removal through a constitutional amendment.
Áron Demeter, the organisation's communications director, said impeachment would better align with international legal standards.
Political analyst Gábor Török criticised the speed and structure of the proposed amendment, warning against what he described as overreach enabled by a parliamentary supermajority.
He said using a "one-sentence constitutional amendment" to remove a head of state raised concerns about institutional balance and democratic safeguards.
The Hungarian Civil Liberties Union also questioned the urgency of introducing parliamentary term limits, arguing the issue should be addressed as part of a broader constitutional review rather than through standalone legislation.
The proposal has intensified debate in Hungary over constitutional reform, institutional independence and the scope of parliamentary authority following the country's recent political transition.
As the legislation moves forward, attention is likely to focus on both domestic legal scrutiny and the international response from European institutions.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said.&nbs...
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on D...
Nigeria's first Ebola case in more than a decade may be linked to travel in Uganda, Swiss authorities said on Thursday, although the source of ...
Russia is willing in principle to resume peace talks with Ukraine and the United States in November, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said after President Vladimir Putin met U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff in St Petersburg.
Saudi Aramco has ordered staff to evacuate its headquarters amid escalating Houthi attacks on the kingdom. Two people were killed in an attack on Dammam airport, while Iran's IRGC Navy claimed strikes on seven vessels and warned the U.S. of a wider response.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Yemen's Houthis have denied targeting the holy city of Medina on Wednesday adding that they have not conducted any military operations towards Saudi Arabia either, denying earlier comments from the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.
Georgia’s Constitutional Court in Batumi will on Wednesday hear a lawsuit seeking to ban five Georgian opposition parties, four of which collectively gained 784,820 votes (37.79 per cent) in the country’s last national elections in 2024.
Russian strikes on Ukraine overnight killed at least two people and injured 15 others, including two children, Ukrainian authorities said. Meanwhile, Russia said it had intercepted the vast majority of 630 Ukrainian drones launched towards Moscow.
Nigeria's first Ebola case in more than a decade may be linked to travel in Uganda, Swiss authorities said on Thursday, although the source of infection remains unclear. Uganda maintains it has no cases of the disease.
Super typhoon Champi is set to batter Japan’s Okinawa Prefecture from Friday (23 October), bringing violent winds, torrential rain and waves up to 11 metres high, as airlines cancel flights and organisers scrap a major festival.
Two women from Austria and Switzerland have been freed after lengthy periods in captivity in Niger, following extensive diplomatic efforts to secure their release amid growing concerns over kidnappings in the Sahel region.
France has reported its first known human case of Shamonda virus following the death of an infected patient, authorities said on Thursday (22 October). The virus, typically found in livestock, is believed to have been transmitted by a biting midge.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment