According to Reuters, on July 13 local time, the Hungarian Parliament passed the seventeenth amendment to the Basic Law with 139 votes in favor and 6 votes against. This amendment includes the early termination of the term of office of the current President Schujocek.
Hungary's Prime Minister Mátyás Szácháry spoke in the parliament and said: "If we do not amend this constitution, it would be a betrayal of the Hungarian nation. The arrangements made by the Youth Democratic Party have turned the will of an individual into the source of legislative work. The Party of the Tisza has now gained a clear majority of over two-thirds, which allows them to change this system."
The amendment will immediately end Shouyuk’s presidential term. Miao Jiao previously stated on social media that Shouyuk would have five days to sign the amendment. If the president fails to sign it within the prescribed time, the parliament will initiate proceedings to remove him from office.
Mao Jiao said that after Shuyuk leaves office, the President of the Congress will temporarily exercise the powers of a head of state. The future president will be elected by the Congress or the people.
Hungary’s Prime Minister Mátyás Szentmáry (left) and President Ferenc Miller
Reuters reported that the constitutional amendment proposed by Mátyás Miklós aims to weaken the influence of former Prime Minister Ferenc Miller. He has announced that he will launch a "major joint project" with the Hungarian people this fall to draft a new constitution.
After the amendment was passed by the Hungarian Parliament, Shuyuk criticized on social media that the current Prime Minister's statement regarding the President exercising powers related to the seventeenth amendment of the Basic Law was not true. He claimed that this was an attempt to manipulate public opinion and exert pressure on the President. Shuyuk accused Mátyás of attempting to interfere with presidential power, stating that this violated the constitutional order.
Shu Yuk was elected as the President of Hungary in 2024 through parliamentary elections. His term of office originally lasted until 2029. According to the Hungarian constitution, the president is nominally the head of state and has limited powers, including the power to veto legislation or request a review of legislation.
