Hungary’s parliament has approved a constitutional amendment to remove President Tamas Sulyok from his largely ceremonial position, marking the latest effort to dismantle the influence of figures associated with former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

The measure, which passed on Monday with 139 votes in favor and six against, will immediately end Sulyok’s term and allow parliament to elect a new president.

This action follows the April election where Hungarians voted out the right-wing nationalist Orban, ending his party Fidesz's 16-year tenure. The new Prime Minister Peter Magyar, whose Tisza Party won a landslide victory, has been actively working to reduce the power of the previous administration’s appointees.

The constitutional amendment also includes a series of judicial reforms, establishes a body to investigate alleged financial misconduct during the previous government, and introduces a 12-year term limit for lawmakers. President Sulyok has five days to sign the amendment; Prime Minister Magyar has stated that impeachment proceedings will commence if he refuses.

President Sulyok, a former chief of Hungary's Constitutional Court, was elected in February 2024. He succeeded Katalin Novak, who resigned after granting a controversial pardon. However, shortly after Magyar’s Tisza Party secured a significant parliamentary majority, Magyar declared Sulyok "unworthy to embody the unity of the Hungarian nation" and called for his resignation.

In June, after Sulyok did not resign by the deadline, Magyar labeled the president a "puppet" of Orban and vowed to remove him and other holdovers through constitutional means. This led to the unveiling of a reform program called "Operation Cleansing Fire," aimed at installing a new constitution, purging state institutions, and creating an anti-corruption office.

Although the presidency in Hungary is a largely symbolic role, it holds the power to approve laws and refer them to the Constitutional Court for review. This has raised concerns that Sulyok might have used his position to obstruct the new government's agenda.

The Fidesz party and President Sulyok’s office boycotted Monday’s parliamentary session, highlighting the deep political divisions following the recent election results.