Tamás Sulyok Turns to the Venice Commission After Péter Magyar Calls for His Resignation

A public political and constitutional conflict has erupted between the newly elected prime minister and the president of Hungary. In an official statement released by the Sándor Palace, President Tamás Sulyok made it clear that since the parliamentary elections held on April 12, significant pressure has been placed on him by the new government in an effort to weaken the role of the head of state and directly force his resignation. The president has asked the Venice Commission for international legal expertise to clarify the situation.

The conflict stems from the fact that Péter Magyar, leader of the victorious Tisza Party, called on Tamás Sulyok to resign immediately both in his victory speech on April 12 and later during his international press conference. Alongside Sulyok, Prime Minister Péter Magyar also demanded the resignation of other “pillars” of the Orbán system, including the Prosecutor General, and the presidents of the Curia and the Constitutional Court.

Tensions reached their peak during the inaugural parliamentary session, where Prime Minister Magyar openly criticized the president in his speech and explained at length why Tamás Sulyok should not remain in office.

Government Seeks to Remove Presidential Oversight Over EU Funds

According to Friday’s statement from the Sándor Palace, the new prime minister publicly expressed concerns that the president in line with his constitutional duties could exercise constitutional oversight over legislation required for accessing European Union funds. According to Péter Magyar, this could delay the legislative process and complicate access to financial resources.

Tamás Sulyok rejected the prime minister’s concerns and sharply criticized the government for disregarding European and democratic values:

“European Union fundamental values are also constitutional values. For this reason, the President of the Republic considers it alarming if anyone views constitutional requirements not as standards to uphold, but as obstacles to be removed from the legislative process.”

The president emphasized that, as a patriot, he is personally committed to securing EU funds as quickly as possible, and stated that during his time in office he has never obstructed the effective functioning of the branches of government.