BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) 鈥� Hungary’s president signed a constitutional amendment into law on Saturday that ends , bringing to a close a dispute between him and the country’s new government that was seeking to oust him as part of a purge of officials appointed during the reign of Viktor Orb谩n.
Hungarian Prime Minister P茅ter Magyar, who defeated the long-serving Orb谩n in a in April, had repeatedly called on the Orb谩n-appointed president, Tam谩s Sulyok, to resign, arguing he had failed to live up to his role as president by neglecting to stand in the way of antidemocratic steps by Orb谩n鈥檚 government.
When Sulyok refused, lawmakers with Magyar’s pro-European, center-right Tisza party this week that called for an immediate end to his term. Sulyok had five days to sign the amendment into law, which he did on the final day before the deadline.
In a video posted to Facebook Saturday evening, Sulyok 鈥� whom Magyar had frequently referred to as Orb谩n’s 鈥減uppet鈥� 鈥� said that being made to sign the amendment was 鈥渓asting proof that the fundamental values of a free society, the rule of law, democracy, the principle of power-sharing, have been trampled on in the interest of power.鈥�
Sulyok鈥檚 term will officially end at midnight on Monday, when speaker of Parliament, 脕gnes Forsthoffer, will automatically assume his duties until lawmakers elect a new president, a task which has a 30-day deadline.
Since taking office in May, Magyar’s administration has quickly gone to work dismantling what he calls Orb谩n鈥檚 鈥渕afia鈥� by removing numerous political appointees and heads of institutions viewed as having facilitated Orb谩n鈥檚 autocratic government.
The new government suspended the news service of Hungary鈥檚 public television and radio 鈥� which Magyar has argued for Orb谩n鈥檚 party 鈥� and shuttered Hungary鈥檚 Sovereignty Protection Office, an authority seen by Orb谩n鈥檚 opponents as a tool for intimidating critics and silencing independent media.
The amendment which removed Sulyok also made some judicial reforms, set up an office aimed at investigating financial abuses under the Orb谩n government, and imposed a 12-year term limit on lawmakers.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Orb谩n responded to Sulyok’s signing of the amendment by writing that 鈥渢yranny is no longer a threat, but a reality.鈥�
鈥淚f this could be done to the president of the republic, then tomorrow no one will be safe,鈥� Orb谩n wrote.
But in a video statement on Facebook on Saturday, Magyar said that by passing the amendment, 鈥渨e have fulfilled several of our important commitments and returned what the Orb谩n regime tried to take away from the Hungarian people for many years.鈥�
He added he would convene his party on Monday to discuss its nomination for a next president.
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