Hungary’s Prime Minister says he must oust Orbán’s ‘puppet’ president. Some say he goes too far

Hungary’s new prime minister says he is doing the will of the people by doing everything he can to oust his predecessor’s allies.

Parliament on Monday approved a constitutional amendment that would allow the government to fire President Tamas Sulyok, who Prime Minister Péter Magyar called a “puppet” of former prime minister Viktor Orbán.

It is part of a wider package of reforms aimed at dismantling the political system Orbán left behind, and removing his allies from executive positions.

Some human rights activists have accused Magya of trampling due process and the rule of law in her rush to usher in Hungary’s post-Orbán era.

Others, however, say that hard times call for hard actions.

“We are really in a transition. I personally think that this transition requires extraordinary measures,” András Baka, former head of the Hungarian Supreme Court, told A.It happens hosted by Nil Kӧksal.

“We’re on the right track to reestablishing our previous rule of law, and I think that’s a big step forward.”

Baka was like that he was fired from his position at the country’s high court in 2012 after speaking out against Orbán’s judicial reforms.

The president is part of the party in Hungary, but he is powerful.

The president is responsible for signing legislation into law and has the power to refer bills passed by Parliament to the Constitutional Court for review.

Magyar said he fears that Sulyok, Orbán’s nominee, could use that power to thwart the new ruling party as he rids the country of the previous right-wing, anti-European government and 2SLGBQT.

The prime minister has repeatedly called for Sulyok to resign. But Sulyok has maintained that he has no political ambitions and has refused to step down.

But Tisza’s Magyar party won a landslide election in April, and now holds a two-thirds majority in Parliament.

That means it can easily make constitutional changes and reverse many of the policies Orbán implemented during his 16 years in power.

The latest change, the 17th amendment, was passed on Monday with 139 votes to six in the 199-member Parliament.

Lawmakers from Orbán’s Fidesz party boycotted the parliamentary session.

Fidesz described the amendment as an “unprecedented” attack on Hungary’s democratic system, and last week staged a protest against the changes, which drew around 3,000 people.

On Monday, Orbán posted a photo of Magyar on Facebook with the caption, “Democratic Hungary: 1990-2026,” the period since Hungary’s transition from state socialism.

What happens next?

Sulyok needs to sign the amendment within five days for it to become law.

He asked the government’s amendment to be reviewed by the Venice Commission, a human rights body of the Council of Europe, which advises on whether constitutional changes are compatible with democracy.

Tisza vowed to launch impeachment proceedings against Sulyok if he does not sign the amendment.

Baka says he hopes it won’t come to that.

“Resignation is not a pursuit of politics, but it is a fair and just act of constitutional commitment aimed at maintaining the proper functioning of the state,” he said.

“So I don’t know what he’s going to do, but I think resigning would be the right thing to do.”

Human Rights Watch urges caution

Sulyok is not the only target of the 17th amendment.

It also sets up an office aimed at investigating money laundering under the Orbán government, imposes a 12-year age limit on lawmakers, and imposes a 70-year age limit on Constitutional Court judges.

This would require its current head, Orbán ally Peter Polt, to retire.

Human Rights Watch has criticized Magya for rushing through constitutional changes without consulting the public, instead of taking the slow step of pursuing the president’s prosecution in the courts.

“The new Hungarian government has a good reason to make major institutional changes, but the results do not allow the means in a state that respects the rule of law,” Benjamin Ward, deputy director for Europe and Central Asia at the rights organization, said the statement.

“The progress the government is making in restoring the rule of law after years of devastation is precious and fragile, and can be undone by hasty legislation with due process and injustice.”

Magya, however, says that removing the president is one of his election promises, therefore, it is his democratic duty.

“It would be a betrayal of the Hungarian nation if we don’t touch this constitution,” said Magyar. “We asked for and received a clear mandate from the Hungarian people to do this.”

Although Baka supports Sulyok’s dismissal, he says the new restrictions of the amendment interfere with voters’ rights, while benefiting the ruling party over the opposition.

He warns that there is an “inherent risk” that any party with a large majority in Parliament could abuse its power and become “version 2.0 of the previous system.”

He says he is always optimistic about the future of Hungary.

“We have to be very careful about what is happening,” he said. “[But] in my opinion, as I see today, the country is going in the right direction.”