Hungarian parliament speaker to serve as acting president after Sulyok’s removal

Hungarian Parliament Speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer will temporarily assume the duties of president following the removal of Tamás Sulyok from office.

Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that a new head of state will be elected within the next 30 days.

Magyar said that Sulyok had signed Hungary’s 17th constitutional amendment adopted by parliament, “as a result of which his powers as president of the republic will cease as of midnight on July 20.”

“In accordance with the provisions of the Fundamental Law, from July 20 the powers of the president of the republic will be temporarily exercised by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Ágnes Forsthoffer. The National Assembly must elect a new president of the republic within 30 days,” Magyar said in a video address.

Earlier, Sulyok announced that he had signed the 17th amendment despite considering it unconstitutional and undemocratic. He stressed that full responsibility for the enactment of the document rests with the country’s new government.

By Jeyhun Aghazada