Hungarian president Tamás Sulyok said he sees no reason to resign, rejecting calls from Prime Minister Péter Magyar, who set a May 31st deadline for him and other public officials to step down following recent political developments.
Speaking in an interview with Index, Sulyok stressed that his role is defined by the constitution, not party politics. He said he accepted the presidency to preserve constitutional stability and emphasized that the head of state does not have, and under the Hungarian constitution cannot have, a political program, but instead represents the unity of the nation.
His remarks come after Hungary’s parliament elected a new prime minister with 140 votes in favour, 54 against, and one abstention. The Tisza Party described the outcome as a “regime change,” a claim Sulyok rejected.
He stressed that Hungary’s regime change took place in 1990. “What has happened now is a change of government,” he nailed down.
Sulyok also addressed criticism from Magyar, who has called him “unfit for office.” He argued that terms such as unfitness or unworthiness are not part of the constitution and described such claims as political judgments that the constitution does not recognize.
He further warned that any attempt to remove public officials must be strictly based on the rule of law and constitutional norms. According to Sulyok, even the appearance that legislation is designed to target a specific individual should be avoided.
Despite political pressure, the president made clear that there is currently no legal or constitutional basis that would justify his resignation.
