We will initiate the termination of the president's term in office as part of the "purge operation", Magyar said in an address ahead of the agenda.

"The day after the constitutional amendments take effect, Tamas Sulyok's mandate will end, full stop," he declared.

Magyar also announced a comprehensive constitutional reform process starting in September, involving all of Hungarian society to "discuss and debate our common affairs".

The new constitution will be put to a national referendum for approval, he added.

He said parliament would elect a new president to serve until the constitutional process is completed or for a maximum of five years - whichever comes first - to replace Sulyok, with the key task of restoring the prestige of the presidential office.

Magyar: Hungary will have a new president by Aug 20

Hungary will definitely have a new president by August 20, the national holiday, Prime Minister Peter Magyar told a press conference in Budapest on Monday.

The prime minister noted that the Fundamental Law stipulates parliament must elect a new president within 30 days of the previous president's mandate ending. 

"This could happen sometime at the end of July or the beginning of August. There is no need to wait the full 30 days -- in fact, it is clearly in the country's interest to do it as quickly as possible," he added.

He said a candidate would be sought who could embody national unity, which did not mean someone non-partisan or above parties, and they would welcome support from opposition parties. He noted that one-fifth of MPs could nominate a presidential candidate, including the opposition.

Magyar also said that, in the best-case scenario, Hungary could have a new constitution approved by referendum as early as next summer.

"It might take longer, but time is not the issue -- what matters is quality and substance. We want the country to have a constitution that everyone can accept in good faith," he said.

Magyar: Sulyok has achieved national unity insofar as everyone wants him gone

By the end of his term, President Tamas Sulyok has succeeded in achieving national unity insofar as everyone wants him gone, Prime Minister Peter Magyar said on Monday in parliament before the agenda.

Speaking of plans for sweeping changes, he said every related investigation would bring to light dozens of new instances of power abuses.

"There is no state institution, economic sector, movable or immovable property, street corner, or rooftop that the fallen Orban regime, the Hungarian Cosa Nostra, the mafia" did not want to get its hands on, he said.

Magyar added that he could not name a single area that had remained free of corruption under the "Orban regime".

MTI Stock Photo

Source: MTI – Hungary’s national news agency since 1881.

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