Hungarian President Warns PM Magyar Seeks More Power Than Orbán

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungary’s president has warned that recently elected Prime Minister Péter Magyar is plotting a takeover of state institutions that would give him more power than his predecessor, Viktor Orbán.

President Tamás Sulyok, an Orbán ally, said he would not resign despite mounting pressure from the new government and vowed to resist efforts to force him from office.

Magyar won a landslide victory in April and pledged to remove Sulyok and other Orbán-era appointees, whom he accuses of helping maintain a system marked by corruption, cronyism, and state capture during Orbán’s 16 years in power.

However, Sulyok told the news outlet Politico he would fight to remain in office, including through legal means, while accusing Magyar of seeking to concentrate power more aggressively than Orbán ever did.

“No parliamentary majority can grant authorization to disregard the rule of law and European values,” Sulyok said, arguing that Magyar’s Tisza Party wants “to achieve a greater concentration of power in 16 weeks than Fidesz did in 16 years.”

POWER STRUGGLE

He said the government aims to replace senior officials elected or appointed during the previous administration, including key figures in the judiciary and other state institutions.

Tisza officials reject those accusations, saying Orbán-era appointees cannot be trusted to act independently after years of serving a government that critics accused of weakening democratic checks and balances.

Márton Hajdu, chairman of parliament’s foreign affairs committee and a Tisza lawmaker, said officials who remained in office during Orbán’s rule failed to prevent corruption and abuses of power.

“Sulyok never defended checks and balances when Orbán was dismantling them, nor did he protect those targeted by the abuse of power,” Hajdu said.

“Now that his own record is being questioned, he wants us to believe that a one-month-old Tisza government is more dangerous than sixteen years of Orbán rule.”

CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS

The dispute has triggered what Sulyok describes as a constitutional crisis. He asked Hungary’s Constitutional Court to review any legislation aimed specifically at removing him from office.

However, seven of the court’s 15 judges recused themselves from the case, citing their personal involvement in the matter, preventing the court from ruling on his petition.

Sulyok has also appealed to the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission, which confirmed it is preparing an urgent opinion on questions related to the dispute.

The confrontation comes as Magyar seeks to deliver on campaign promises to dismantle what he calls the remnants of Orbán’s political system while restoring the rule of law and unlocking billions of euros in frozen European Union funds.

One reason Magyar’s government is moving quickly is concern about a situation similar to neighboring Poland, where President Karol Nawrocki has used his veto powers to block parts of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s reform agenda.

ASSET RECOVERY

Unlike the Polish presidency, Hungary’s head of state has only limited constitutional powers. Yet Sulyok has signaled he intends to use every available legal avenue to challenge efforts to remove him.

Adding to tensions, Magyar’s government wants a new Asset Recovery Office to begin operating by September.

The proposed body would investigate allegedly improperly acquired wealth accumulated over the past 20 years by politicians and other public figures and could seek to recover assets deemed unlawfully obtained.

Supporters say the initiative is needed to address longstanding corruption allegations and restore public trust in state institutions.

Critics argue such investigations must be conducted independently and strictly within the rule of law to avoid perceptions of political retribution.

FUTURE OF REFORMS

Despite polls suggesting many Hungarians favor his departure, Sulyok has vowed to remain in office, warning that a constitutional crisis would damage Hungary’s democratic institutions and international standing.

The standoff highlights the growing struggle between Magyar’s reform agenda and officials appointed during the Orbán era, with both sides claiming to be defending Hungary’s democratic future.

Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.

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