The President of Hungary has signed a law providing for his resignation
This is according to Politico.
Shuyok stated that he had signed the document in accordance with the country’s Basic Law, although, in his words, the decision had not been an easy one from either a legal or a personal perspective. At the same time, he criticised the adopted amendments, stating that they had dealt a blow to the principles of the rule of law, democracy and the separation of powers.
Why is the president being forced to resign?
The Hungarian Parliament approved the constitutional amendment earlier this week. The president then had five days to either sign the document or refer it to the Constitutional Court.
Although Szujok claimed that the law was directed personally against him and contravened the Constitution, his options for blocking it were limited. Following legislative changes adopted under Viktor Orbán’s government in 2013, the Constitutional Court no longer has the power to assess the substance of constitutional amendments, but only the procedure by which they are adopted.
The amendment also reinstates the mandatory retirement age of 70 for judges of the Constitutional Court. As a result, four sitting judges will lose their posts, including the court’s president, Péter Polt.
What happens next
Prime Minister Péter Magyar described the signing of the document as the culmination of a process which, he said, is intended to restore the checks and balances within the state.
Tamas Szujok is expected to step down as early as Monday. The Speaker of Parliament, Ágnes Forsthofer, is to act as interim President. Meanwhile, MPs from the Tisza party have already tabled a draft resolution to replace her ahead of an extraordinary parliamentary session.
Follow us on our Telegram channel
