President of Hungary signed constitutional amendments that terminate his mandate
Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok has signed amendments to the country's Constitution, which include, among other things, the early termination of his presidential mandate. He announced this in a video address after the Hungarian Parliament approved the corresponding changes, writes "European Truth".
Tamás Sulyok. Photo: AP Photo/Denes Erdos
After the law was adopted, the president had five days to sign the document or veto it. On Saturday, this deadline expired, and Sulyok decided to sign the amendments.
In his address, he stated that he was always guided by respect for the law and considers signing the amendments his constitutional duty. According to him, this decision is of national importance and should not be viewed solely through the prism of personal or political interests.
After the official promulgation of the law, Sulyok's mandate will be terminated the following day.
Tamás Sulyok became President of Hungary in 2024 after the scandalous resignation of his predecessor Katalin Novák. His powers were originally supposed to last until March 2029.
The amendments were adopted by parliament, where the 'Tisza' party, led by Péter Magyar, now holds a constitutional majority. During the election campaign, Magyar promised to change state institutions and remove officials appointed by the previous government from their positions, whom he called dependent on the old system.
In addition to the early termination of the president's mandate, the 17th amendment to the Constitution provides for a broad reform of state structures. Among other things, it reinstates an age limit of 70 for Constitutional Court judges, which will lead to the swift termination of the mandates of several judges appointed by the previous government.
The changes also introduce a limit for National Assembly deputies — no more than three parliamentary terms, and reduce the number of laws requiring a two-thirds majority for adoption.
Previously, former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán called for protests against Magyar's attempts to change the president's status, however, this call did not receive widespread support.