Hungary is undergoing an unprecedented institutional change after President Tamás Szulók signed a legislative amendment to terminate his own powers early. The decision was made in accordance with a five-day legal deadline imposed by the new ruling majority of the “Tisa“ party, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
Following the promulgation of the changes, the speaker of the Hungarian parliament takes over as acting president of the country.
New presidential elections within a month
Prime Minister Péter Magyar made an official statement to the media, announcing that elections for a new head of state will be held within the next 30 days. The new president will take office temporarily – until a completely new Constitution of Hungary is finalized and adopted. This process, according to Magyar, will begin in the form of a broad public debate in the fall of this year.
According to information from the world news agency Reuters (www.reuters.com), the radical changes aim to completely eliminate the autocratic structures and appointments left as a legacy of Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule.
Dismantling the “Orbán“ legacy
The removal of Tamás Sulók from the presidency is part of a large-scale legislative package adopted by the Hungarian parliament with a qualified two-thirds majority of 139 votes “in favor”. The new reforms also foresee:
- Limit for deputies: A limit of a maximum of 12 years or 3 consecutive terms in the National Assembly is introduced.
- Changes in the judicial system: A mandatory retirement age of 70 years is imposed for constitutional judges.
- Anti-corruption control: A new specialized agency is being created to investigate and recover illegally acquired assets.
Representatives of the former ruling party “Fidesz“ boycotted the extraordinary session of parliament, describing the new government's actions as violating constitutional principles. Despite opposition resistance, the Hungarian president made a video address, quoted by Xinhua (www.news.cn), in which he confirmed that there was no legal mechanism to stop the will of parliament and that he had therefore signed the decree to avoid a constitutional crisis.
After a convincing victory in the elections on April 12, the Magyar cabinet continues to accelerate reforms in the country with a promise to fully restore the rule of law and improve relations with the European Union.