BUDAPEST, July 13. /TASS/. Hungary’s National Assembly (unicameral parliament) will begin proceedings to remove President Tamas Sulyok from office, if he does not sign the bill on the 17th amendment to the Constitution, which envisages his resignation, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar said in connection with the parliament's plans to vote on the document, drafted by the government, on Monday.

The draft 17th amendment will likely be approved by parliament, where Magyar's Tisza party holds more than two-thirds of the votes. The prime minister noted that the head of state will then, by law, have five days to sign the bill.

"If Sulyok does not sign the amendment to the fundamental law, which will be adopted today, within five days, the National Assembly will initiate impeachment proceedings against him. After that, according to the Constitution, the president will no longer be able to exercise his powers, and the speaker of the National Assembly will be able to sign the law," Magyar wrote on his Facebook page (banned in Russia, owned by the Meta corporation, which is considered extremist in Russia).

He did not use the word "impeachment", but was referring specifically to this procedure, which parliament can initiate against the president, if he commits serious crimes such as treason, gross violation of the Constitution, or corruption. Magyar did not specify what wrongdoing Sulyok might be incriminated in.

The Prime Minister and the President's Positions

The president previously stated that he does not intend to resign at the prime minister's request and considers the 17th amendment to be unconstitutional, personalized, and driven solely by the political interests of the new authorities. According to the law, if the head of state disagrees with any bill, he can refer it to the Constitutional Court for a legal opinion.

Magyar predicts that Sulyok will do just that. "The president cannot review the substance of an amendment to the fundamental law. He could only refer it to the Constitutional Court for a preliminary review of its provisions to determine whether they are invalid under public law. However, in this case, such a situation clearly does not exist," the prime minister believes.

Immediately after Tisza's victory in the April 12 parliamentary elections, Magyar began pressing for Sulyok's resignation, claiming that he failed to fulfill his duties and facilitated the abuses committed by the previous government of Viktor Orban. The prime minister also stated that a new Constitution would be drafted within the next year, during which time a new president would need to be elected.

Magyar's plans were opposed by the political opposition, including the Fidesz-Hungarian Civic Alliance party, led by Orban. On July 9, it held a large protest in Budapest. Sulyok asked the Venice Commission, an advisory body to the Council of Europe, to provide an opinion on this conflict from the perspective of constitutional law and European democratic norms.

About the Amendment

The 17th Amendment to Hungary's fundamental law consists of 12 clauses and also provides for limiting the terms of parliamentary members to three four-year terms and setting the age limit for members of the Constitutional Court at 70. These measures will be retroactive and are also aimed at the opposition, as many Fidesz members have long served in parliament, and some judges appointed under Orban are over 70. At the same time, in accordance with the 17th Amendment, measures will be taken to strengthen the independence of the judiciary, protect state financial assets, expand the powers of the Constitutional Court, and strengthen public oversight of government agencies. The government believes this will help restore the rule of law and democratic system in Hungary, which were weakened in recent years under previous authorities.