Hungarian parliament approves constitutional amendment to remove president

Hungarian parliament votes to remove Orban loyalist president

Hungary's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment removing President Tamás Sulyok from office. Sulyok, widely regarded as a loyalist of former far-right prime minister Viktor Orbán, has five days to either sign the amendment or refer it to the Constitutional Court. Magyar has said he will initiate impeachment proceedings if Sulyok chooses the latter, while the president could also resign. Fidesz lawmakers walked out of parliament before the vote, accusing the government of concentrating power.

The amendment, part of a broader package of constitutional changes, also removes Constitutional Court judges over the age of 70 and bars MPs who have served three parliamentary terms from standing again, a provision that applies to more than half of Fidesz's current deputies. Tisza lawmakers gave a standing ovation after the vote. Since its defeat in April, Fidesz has struggled to recover, with Orbán refusing to take his parliamentary seat and remaining largely absent from public life.

Ex-foreign minister Szijjarto joins BYD, drawing criticism

Hungary's former foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, has resigned from parliament to take on an executive position at Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD. Szijjártó, who served as foreign minister for nearly 12 years under former prime minister Viktor Orbán, announced on Facebook that he had accepted “a highly prestigious offer” from BYD. “BYD is one of the greatest success stories in the automotive industry over the past 20 years,” he wrote. “Starting today, I will continue my work as the executive responsible for the group’s external relations and the development of new business lines.”

During his time in government, Szijjártó played a leading role in attracting Chinese investment to Hungary, including BYD’s first European factory, which he described as “one of the largest investments in Hungarian economic history”, as well as the company's European headquarters and research and development centre in Budapest, both backed by Hungarian state support. PM Magyar criticised the appointment, accusing Szijjártó of representing “foreign interests” and saying the former minister had “previously lobbied to secure massive Hungarian state subsidies” for BYD. “In hindsight, it may now become clear even to Fidesz voters whose interests the former foreign minister of the failed Orbán government represented in connection with the ... investments in the battery and automotive industries,” Magyar wrote.

Orbán attends World Cup semi-final while posting about the end of democracy in Hungary

Hungary's former PM Viktor Orbán attended the World Cup semi-finals in Dallas, where his reactions during the match were captured on video. The footage shows Orbán raising his hands in frustration before returning to his unmistakable pose of watching the game with his arms crossed. According to the footage, his family members joined him on the US trip: his son Gáspár Orbán, his daughter Sára Orbán and her husband, Tamás Szokira also appear on the video.

Orbán travelled to the US on Monday, the same day Hungary’s parliament approved the 17th amendment to the Fundamental Law, a measure strongly opposed by his Fidesz party. Fidesz argued that the amendment would undermine the rule of law and democracy, and organised a protest under the slogan “Stop the tyranny!”, which Orbán did not attend.

His decision not to cancel his trip drew criticism, particularly as it coincided with the resignation of Fidesz’s parliamentary group leader. On the day of the vote, Orbán posted a black-and-white image of PM Magyar with the words “Democratic Hungary 1990–2026” and a black heart emoji.