budapest, hungaryReuters —
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday that his government would begin legal proceedings to remove President Tamás Słyok, who was appointed by the previous nationalist government, if he refuses to resign.
The center-right Magyar Tisza party ousted Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in April’s election and vowed to remove several people he had appointed to key public offices over the past 16 years, including mostly ceremonial heads of state.
The Magyar president has repeatedly called for Sulyok, who was elected in early 2024 by lawmakers from Orban’s Fidesz party, to resign, accusing him of failing to represent national unity on key issues and not serving the interests of Orban and his government. Mr. Suryok has consistently refused to resign.
“I told the president that if he maintains his position and does not resign, we will inform the members of Tisza about our legislative proposal today and immediately begin the necessary procedures,” Magyar said after meeting with Sulok.
Magyar said the legislative process would take about a month and would include “the removal of all the puppets” who took part in “the dismantling of the rule of law and democracy” under Orbán.
He said the government intended to use parliament’s two-thirds majority to amend the constitution and expel Mr Suryok from public office, without giving further details.
Suryok, a 70-year-old former lawyer, reiterated his refusal to resign on Monday.
“The constitutional crisis that follows (the legal measures promised by the Magyars) will deepen social divisions and damage the international reputation of Hungarian democracy,” Slyok said on his Facebook page.
Prime Minister Orbán’s Fidesz party accused Magyar, 45, of issuing an “illegal ultimatum” and said Suriok was fulfilling his legal mandate until 2029 and could not be removed from office.
Mr. Slyok previously served as President of the Hungarian Supreme Court and was also elected to that post by Mr. Fidesz in 2016.
Although Hungary’s president plays a largely nominal role, he can send laws back to parliament for reconsideration or submit bills to the Constitutional Court, potentially delaying or blocking the Magyar reform agenda.
