BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� Hungary鈥檚 Parliament voted Monday to pass a constitutional amendment to from office and make some political reforms aimed at dismantling the of autocratic former Prime Minister .
After winning in a in April, current Prime Minister and his pro-European, center-right Tisza party hold a two-thirds majority in Parliament, allowing them to make constitutional changes and roll back many of the policies Orb谩n implemented during his 16 years in power.
The constitutional amendment, which had the stated purpose of 鈥渞estoring rule-of-law democracy,鈥� passed with 139 votes for and six against in the 199-member Parliament. Tisza lawmakers held a standing ovation after the vote, while lawmakers from Orb谩n’s far-right Fidesz party boycotted the parliamentary session.
Sulyok needs to sign the amendment within five days for it to become law, and has not said whether he would do so, but Tisza has vowed to launch an impeachment procedure against him if he doesn’t.
Magyar has argued that Sulyok failed to live up to his role as president by neglecting to stand in the way of antidemocratic steps by Orb谩n鈥檚 government. Magyar promised repeatedly to remove Sulyok during the , and points to his party鈥檚 big win as a clear mandate from voters to fulfill that promise. Sulyok has resisted Magyar’s calls to resign.
Following the vote, Magyar told a news conference that with the passage of the amendment his government had 鈥渟tarted the transformation of the Orb谩n legal system.鈥�
鈥淲ith this vote today, we have closed an era,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e asked for and received a completely clear mandate from the Hungarian people to do this.鈥�
The amendment would simply remove Sulyok from office, meaning that Parliament would elect a new president. It also would make some judicial reforms, set up an office aimed at investigating financial abuses under the Orb谩n government and impose a 12-year term limit on lawmakers.
Fidesz has argued that the amendment is an 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� assault on Hungary鈥檚 democratic order, and last week in opposition to the changes which drew around 3,000 people but which Orb谩n did not attend.
On Monday, Orb谩n posted a photograph of Magyar on Facebook with the subtitle, 鈥淒emocratic Hungary: 1990-2026鈥� 鈥� the period since Hungary transitioned from state socialism. Orb谩n was traveling to the United States on Monday to attend the final three matches of the World Cup.
While mostly a ceremonial role, Hungary鈥檚 president is responsible for signing legislation into law and has the power to send bills passed by Parliament to the Constitutional Court for review. That鈥檚 raised concerns among supporters of the new government that Sulyok, an Orb谩n-era appointee, could use that power to obstruct its plans.
Since taking office in May, the government has quickly gone to work dismantling what Magyar calls Orb谩n鈥檚 鈥渕afia鈥� by removing numerous political appointees and heads of institutions viewed as having facilitated Orb谩n鈥檚 autocratic regime.
They suspended the news service of Hungary鈥檚 public television and radio 鈥� which Magyar has argued for Orb谩n鈥檚 party 鈥� and shuttered Hungary’s Sovereignty Protection Office, an authority seen by Orb谩n’s opponents as a tool for intimidating critics and silencing independent media.
Prior to Monday’s vote, Fidesz caucus leader Gergely Guly谩s said the amendment 鈥渂reaks up the legal system, undermines the rule of law and restricts democracy.鈥� Guly谩s announced he would resign as caucus leader, given that the amendment’s 12-year term limit would make him unable to take a seat in Parliament in the next national election.
Fidesz supporters called for a candlelight vigil outside Hungary’s parliament building on Monday evening to demonstrate against what they called the 鈥渢yranny鈥� of Magyar’s government.
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