Several hundred demonstrators gathered outside Sándor Palace in Budapest on Sunday, 7 June, for a sympathy protest in support of President Tamás Sulyok and other state institution leaders targeted by Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s plans for removal.
The demonstration was organized by right-wing groups and took place on St George Square in front of the presidential residence. Participants carried Hungarian flags and white flowers, while speakers repeatedly argued that constitutionally protected offices should not be abolished for political reasons. Organizers framed the rally as a defence of constitutional checks and balances against what they described as political pressure from the government.
Among the speakers were CitizenGO Hungary director Béla Teleki, Mandiner journalist Mátyás Kohán, Pesti Srácok editor-in-chief Gergely Huth, documentary filmmaker Fruzsina Skrabski, and Köztér presenter Dániel Kurucz. Several speakers accused the government of threatening the independence of constitutional institutions and urged Sulyok to remain in office until the end of his mandate in 2029.
Since the landslide victory of Tisza Party in the 12 April election, an unprecedented constituional standoff escalated between the presidency and the government. According to PM Magyar, the government intends to remove a number of public office-holders appointed during the previous Fidesz–KDNP constitutional supermajorities, including President Sulyok. The dispute intensified after the 31 May deadline set by the prime minister for public office-holders to resign voluntarily expired without any of the targeted officials stepping down.
Sulyok and several other institutional leaders rejected the demand, prompting the government to prepare constitutional amendments aimed at removing them from office. Critics of the plan argue that such a move would undermine Hungary’s constitutional order and weaken institutional independence.
‘Sunday’s demonstration was organized as a show of solidarity with Sulyok’
In response, Sulyok appealed to the Venice Commission, one of Europe’s leading constitutional advisory bodies, arguing that the planned legislation constitutes a serious breach of the rule of law. On 4 June, the presidency announced that the commission had agreed to examine the matter under an accelerated procedure.
Sunday’s demonstration was organized as a show of solidarity with Sulyok and the heads of other state institutions facing possible removal. Organizers called on supporters to place white flowers in front of Sándor Palace and argued that the government’s plans would ‘weaken Hungary’s constitutional checks and balances’. Former prime minister Viktor Orbán also promoted the event on social media, writing: ‘Everything has its limits.’
Shortly after the demonstration, Péter Magyar dismissed the gathering as a failure. In a Facebook post, he claimed that only around 400 people had attended.
‘We promised to unite the nation. We are on the right track. Today, Fidesz’s hate propaganda could mobilize only 400 people,’ he wrote.
Magyar contrasted the gathering with what he described as the millions supporting political change and again called on the president to resign.
‘Mr President, you also know that it is over. It is still not too late to leave,’ he added.
The protest coincided with a new interview published on Sunday by the Swiss weekly Weltwoche. Speaking to the outlet, Sulyok defended the constitutional role of the presidency and warned against attempts to dismantle institutions established under previous democratic mandates. The president argued that constitutional offices exist to provide continuity and legal stability regardless of changes in government and reiterated that he sees no constitutional basis for his resignation.
The pro-Sulyok rally came just days after a separate anti-government demonstration in Budapest against the European Union’s Migration Pact, which drew several thousand participants. The protest was organized by anti-migration groups and influencers, while opposition parties Fidesz and Our Homeland (Mi Hazánk) were also represented. Participants accused the government of abandoning Hungary’s long-standing restrictive migration policy.
Péter Magyar and the government responded to the criticism by reaffirming that no illegal migrants would enter Hungary under Tisza’s leadership. Addressing the controversial solidarity mechanism of the Migration Pact, Magyar stated that Hungary would opt for financial and other forms of contribution rather than the relocation of migrants.
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