• The Hungarian parliament has voted to remove President Tamás Sulyok from office.
• This move follows a landslide victory by Prime Minister Péter Magyar's Tisza party.
• The constitutional amendment includes wider reforms aimed at dismantling Orbán's autocratic legacy.
• Opposition Fidesz party members boycotted the session, claiming the amendment undermines democracy.
• If Sulyok does not sign the amendment, he may face impeachment proceedings.

Hungary's parliament has voted to remove President Tamás Sulyok in a significant move following the victory of Prime Minister Péter Magyar's pro-European Tisza Party. The parliamentary session resulted in 139 votes for the constitutional amendment and six against, which would end Sulyok's term in office and allow the parliament to elect a new president. This unprecedented step is seen as an integral part of dismantling the influence of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who dominated the political landscape for 16 years, according to BBC, Channel News Asia, and Al Jazeera.

The amendment is part of a broader initiative by the new government to "restore rule-of-law democracy" and limit the powers retained by figures associated with Orbán. Magyar's government has pledged to make extensive judicial reforms and create an oversight body to investigate financial abuses linked to the prior administration. The parliamentary reaction to the vote was overwhelmingly positive, with Tisza lawmakers giving a standing ovation, while members of Orbán's Fidesz party chose to boycott the session in protest, claiming the amendment amount to a direct attack on Hungary's democratic principles, according to Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.

Sulyok now faces a critical timeline, as he must sign the amendment within five days for it to take effect; failing this, Prime Minister Magyar has indicated that impeachment proceedings will be initiated against him. Such pressure underscores the tense political environment as the new government races to implement reforms and eliminate remnants of Orbán's legacy. Sulyok’s role is mainly ceremonial, but his approval is necessary for numerous legislative matters, raising concerns among reformists about potential obstacles he could present, according to BBC and Al Jazeera.

Critics of the amendment assert that it undermines the rule of law and further concentrates power within the new government. Sulyok, nominated under Orbán's administration, has been labeled a "puppet" and unworthy of uniting the nation by Magyar, who pledged during his campaign that the removal of figures like Sulyok was a necessity. As the political landscape rapidly shifts, reactions continue to pour in, with Fidesz supporters calling for demonstrations against what they describe as a "tyranny" by the new government, according to Channel News Asia and Al Jazeera.