Hungary Proposes Sweeping Constitutional Changes Amid Rule of Law Concerns

The government of Hungary has introduced a controversial plan to implement significant changes to its national institutions through a proposed 17th amendment to the country's constitution. The legislative proposal, published on June 22, 2026, outlines a series of structural adjustments that would fundamentally alter the composition of the nation's leadership. If passed, the amendment would result in the immediate removal of the current President, Tamás Sulyok, from office. The government has indicated that these changes are necessary to address urgent national priorities before a broader consultative process for a new constitution begins later this year. Critics and human rights organizations have expressed concern regarding the speed of the process and the potential impact on judicial independence. The government provided the public and civil society groups with only five days to review and respond to the proposal before a scheduled parliamentary vote. Given the ruling party's two-thirds supermajority in parliament, the amendment is widely expected to be approved. The proposed legislation also introduces a mandatory retirement age of 70 for all Constitutional Court judges. This provision would effectively terminate the mandate of any sitting justice who has already reached this age, including the current president of the court, Péter Polt. The Prime Minister has publicly expressed a desire for Polt to step down, though the judge has not yet done so. Observers have noted that this approach mirrors previous judicial reforms in 2011, which were later challenged by the Court of Justice of the European Union. At that time, the government had lowered the retirement age for judges to force out senior officials, a move that was eventually reversed to allow preferred candidates to remain in their positions. Furthermore, the 17th amendment proposes the introduction of 12-year term limits for all members of parliament. These limits would be applied to assess the eligibility of candidates in the first general election following the passage of the law. While term limits for elected officials are generally considered a standard democratic practice, the Venice Commission, an advisory body to the Council of Europe, has previously cautioned against using such mechanisms to disrupt existing political structures. Human Rights Watch has highlighted that these developments pose significant challenges to the ongoing efforts to restore the rule of law in Hungary. The organization emphasized that the lack of due process safeguards in the removal of high-level officials remains a primary concern for international observers. As the parliamentary vote approaches, the international community continues to monitor whether these constitutional changes will align with established European legal standards. The situation remains a focal point for those tracking the health of democratic institutions and judicial independence within the region.