Hungary's prime minister moves to sack president

Hungary's Prime Minister Peter Magyar has vowed to alter the country's constitution to enable the removal of the president and other high-ranking appointees put in place by his predecessor, populist Viktor Orban.

Magyar and his Tisza Party swept to power at the elections in April, winning a two-thirds majority in the country's parliament and bringing a resounding end to 16 years of rule by Orban.

The new prime minister has been swift to reverse many of his predecessor's policies, including making a restoration of good relations with the EU a priority. When Magyar won, his victory was greeted by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen saying there were "strong signals that Hungary is turning the page" and "we can already feel a strong wind of change across Hungary".

Tamas Sulyok was appointed to a five-year term in the largely ceremonial role of president in 2024, a decision that drew criticism from opponents across the political spectrum. As part of his ongoing overhaul, Magyar has referred to Sulyok as Orban's "puppet" and said he should resign, a demand Sulyok has rejected. So Magyar will now seek to remove him from office.

"I have told the president that if he maintains his stance and does not resign, I will inform … the lawmakers of Tisza about our legislative proposals today and we will immediately start the necessary procedures," he said at a news conference on Monday after meeting with Sulyok, adding that the process would take around a month to complete and would also see the removal of "all the puppets" who took part in "dismantling the rule of law and democracy … Hungary does not belong to Tamas Sulyok nor to Viktor Orban. It doesn't belong to a single party or political system".

In a clear reference to the way Sulyok was seen as an enabler and an extension of Orban's influence, Magyar added that it "is in Hungary's interest that this institution — the office of the president — regain the prestige that has been eroded by its silence and inaction".

The thawing of European relations will lead to the unlocking of EU funds for Hungary that were withheld during the reign of Orban.

The BBC quoted Magyar as saying that this money accounted for up to 13 percent of Hungary's entire budget, and much of it has reportedly been earmarked for infrastructure such as solar and wind power generation, and upgrading the country's railway network.

To underline his commitment to European unity, having made his first overseas trips as prime minister to neighboring Poland and Austria, this week Magyar will visit Germany and France to meet his fellow heads of state.