Hungarian Prime Minister to Seek Constitutional Change to Remove President

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced plans to amend the constitution to remove President Tamas Sulyok and other officials appointed under the previous government. Magyar met with Sulyok at the presidential Sandor Palace on Monday morning.

After the meeting, Magyar told reporters that Sulyok had refused to resign. Magyar said he would inform lawmakers of Tisza about legislative proposals later the same day and begin the removal process immediately. He stated the process would take about a month.

Background on the Dispute Magyar had given Sulyok a deadline of Sunday to leave office. The president has rejected repeated requests to step down. The Hungarian president holds a largely ceremonial role but must sign legislation into law and can refer bills to the Constitutional Court for review.

Magyar accused Sulyok of failing to speak out against statements made by the previous government and against legislation that banned an LGBTQ pride event.

Sulyok's office released a statement on Friday saying Magyar's calls for resignation adversely affect the constitutional functioning and authority of the presidency. The statement added that Sulyok had requested a legal assessment from the Venice Commission, a group of legal experts under the Council of Europe.

"Hungary does not belong to Tamas Sulyok nor to Viktor Orban. It doesn't belong to a single party or political system," Magyar said at the news conference.