Fidesz Rallies Against Plot to Oust Hungary’s President Sulyok
Thousands of Fidesz supporters rallied in Budapest against a constitutional amendment that would cut short President Tamás Sulyok's term after Péter Magyar's party swept to power in April.
The July 9 demonstration, organized jointly by Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People’s Party under the banner “Stop Tyranny,” drew crowds who denounced what they characterized as an authoritarian power grab by Magyar’s Tisza party, which swept to power in April after defeating Viktor Orbán’s government.
According to Brussels Signal, former president János Áder delivered the main address at the rally outside Sándor Palace, warning that the planned amendment would represent the destruction of Hungary’s rule of law. Áder, who served as president from 2012 to 2022 under Orbán-led governments, told demonstrators the measure would replace legal certainty with anarchy.
The constitutional crisis centers on the 17th amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law, submitted by Magyar’s government on July 4. The amendment would terminate Sulyok’s mandate the day after it takes effect, cutting short what was meant to be a five-year term that began in 2024 when a Fidesz-controlled parliament elected him.
Áder argued that constitutional procedures allow a president to be removed only through impeachment for legal violations, and that Sulyok has committed none. He invoked historical parallels to communist-era forced removals of government leaders, including Prime Minister Ferenc Nagy in 1947 and President Zoltán Tildy in 1948, declaring he had accepted the invitation to speak because democracy itself was under threat.
Tisza commands a two-thirds parliamentary majority after ending Orbán’s 16 years in office, giving it the votes needed to pass constitutional amendments without opposition support. The amendment is widely expected to clear parliament despite protests.
Sulyok has refused to step down voluntarily and has referred the measure to the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission for review. In an interview with Polish weekly Do Rzeczy, the President called the amendment a law tailored to a specific individual, which he said cannot be reconciled with the rule of law.
Bertalan Havasi, Fidesz communications chief, and MP Gábor Szűcs also addressed the rally. KDNP president Zsolt Semjén attended and was acknowledged from the stage. Orbán promoted the event on social media but did not appear in person.
Magyar has accused Áder of misusing public funds through his Blue Planet Foundation, charges the former president has rejected while demanding evidence and an apology.
The European Commission indicated it is monitoring the constitutional amendment process in Hungary, though it has not yet taken a formal position on the dispute.
With information from Brussels Signal
