BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� Hungary’s government will amend the constitution to remove the country鈥檚 president, part of a push by the new Prime Minister P茅ter Magyar to eliminate officials appointed under former populist Prime Minister .
Magyar and his Tizsa party won an in an election in April. With a two-thirds majority in parliament, they can make sweeping changes to the autocratic Orb谩n built over his 16 years in power.
Since his election victory, Magyar has repeatedly called on President Tam谩s Sulyok, appointed by Orb谩n’s party, to resign or be removed by constitutional means. Magyar had given Sulyok, whom he repeatedly referred to as 鈥淥rb谩n’s puppet,鈥� a May 31 deadline to leave office.
While mostly a ceremonial role, Hungary鈥檚 president is responsible for signing legislation into law and has the power to send bills passed by parliament to the constitutional court for review, raising concerns among supporters of the new government that he could use that power to obstruct its plans.
Magyar held talks with Sulyok at the presidential S谩ndor Palace on Monday morning. Later, at a news conference, Magyar said the president had refused to resign. He added that he would instruct lawmakers from his party to immediately begin the 鈥渘ecessary procedures鈥� to remove the president, a process he said would take around a month.
鈥淗ungary does not belong to Tam谩s Sulyok, nor to Viktor Orb谩n. It doesn’t belong to a single party or political system,” Magyar said. 鈥淭he constitution states quite clearly that the president showcases the unity of the nation and guards the democratic functioning of the state.鈥�
The prime minister did not give specifics on what kind of constitutional change would be used to remove Sulyok.
Magyar also accused Sulyok of failing to perform his duty on a number of issues, including failing to speak out when Orb谩n made about his political opponents and critics, or when the previous government passed legislation .
鈥淚t is in Hungary鈥檚 interest that this institution 鈥� the office of the president 鈥� regain the prestige that has been eroded by its silence and inaction,鈥� Magyar said.
On Friday, Sulyok’s office released a statement that said Magyar’s calls for the president to resign 鈥渁dversely affect both the constitutional functioning and the authority of the institution of the President of the Republic.鈥�
The statement added that Sulyok had requested a legal assessment of the conflict from the Venice Commission, a group of legal experts with Europe鈥檚 top human rights group, part of the Council of Europe.
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