BUDAPEST - Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar stated on Monday that his government would initiate legal proceedings to remove President Tamas Sulyok from office if he persists in refusing to resign. Sulyok was appointed by the previous nationalist administration led by Viktor Orban.
Political Background
Magyar's center-right Tisza party unseated Prime Minister Viktor Orban in an April election. The party has pledged to remove several figures appointed by Orban to key public positions over the past 16 years, including the largely ceremonial head of state.
Magyar's Ultimatum
Magyar has repeatedly called on Sulyok to step down, accusing him of failing to represent national unity on major issues and of serving the interests of Orban and his government. Sulyok has consistently refused to resign. “I have told the president that if he maintains his stance and does not resign, I will inform… Tisza’s lawmakers about our legislative proposals today and we will immediately start the necessary procedures,” Magyar said after meeting Sulyok.
The legislative process would take about a month and would involve “removing all the puppets” who took part in “dismantling the rule of law and democracy” under Orban’s rule, Magyar said. He said the government would use its two-thirds parliamentary majority to amend the constitution to force Sulyok from office, though gave no further details.
Sulyok's Response
Sulyok, a 70-year-old former lawyer, reiterated on Monday his refusal to step down. “The constitutional crisis that will follow (the legal action promised by Magyar) is going to deepen the division in society and will harm the international reputation of Hungary’s democracy,” Sulyok wrote on his Facebook page.
Fidesz Reaction
Orban’s Fidesz party accused Magyar, 45, of issuing an “unlawful ultimatum,” and said Sulyok was fulfilling his lawful mandate, which runs until 2029, and could not be removed from office. Sulyok previously served as head of Hungary’s top court, a post to which he was also elected by Fidesz in 2016.
Implications
The president in Hungary, though a largely figurehead role, can refer laws back to parliament for reconsideration or forward legislation to the Constitutional Court, potentially slowing or blocking Magyar’s reform agenda.
