Opponents of the Hungarian government's plan to remove the country's president gathered in Budapest on Thursday, spurred by calls from former autocratic Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Several thousand demonstrators assembled at the Sándor Palace, the presidential offices, to protest the proposed constitutional amendment that would end President Tamás Sulyok’s term.
This action follows a significant election victory in April that ended Orbán's 16-year rule. The new pro-European Prime Minister Péter Magyar has initiated moves to dismantle what he described as Orbán's "mafia" by removing political appointees and heads of institutions perceived as enabling Orbán's authoritarian government. The planned amendment, scheduled for a vote next week, would also establish term limits for members of parliament, reform the judiciary, and create a new body to investigate alleged financial misconduct during Orbán's tenure.
Orbán and his far-right Fidesz party, which has faced accusations of undermining democratic institutions, have framed the move against Sulyok as an attack on the rule of law and democratic principles, warning it could be the first step toward a dictatorship.
Protesters emphasized that their concern was with the office of the president, not Sulyok himself. "The point is not whether Tamás Sulyok is popular or not, but that this is simply unacceptable in a democracy," said protester Krisztina Nemerkényi.
Magyar contends that Sulyok failed to uphold democratic standards by not obstructing the previous government's anti-democratic actions. He campaigned on a promise to remove Sulyok, citing his party's two-thirds parliamentary majority as a mandate from voters. Although largely ceremonial, the Hungarian president signs legislation and can refer bills to the constitutional court. Supporters of the new government worry Sulyok, an appointee from the Orbán era, could use these powers to block their agenda.
Orbán promoted the "Stop Tyranny" protest on social media but did not attend. His Fidesz party, which organized the demonstration, has been working to recover from its electoral defeat. Fidesz lawmaker János Pócs stated that while his party had previously amended the constitution numerous times, those changes were "in the interest of the country... not for the sake of dictatorship."
Since taking office in May, Magyar's government has also suspended the news service of Hungary's public television and radio, which Magyar characterized as a "propaganda factory" for Orbán's party. Additionally, an eight-year term limit for prime ministers has been implemented, and heads of national security and intelligence agencies from Orbán's tenure have been ousted. Hungary has also secured approximately $19 billion in European Union funds by enacting reforms aimed at reversing democratic backsliding.