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.
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