Májor Cleanses Former Prime Minister Orbán's Allies, Forces Hungarian President to Resign—Could Orbán Succeed Guterres?
After taking office, Hungary's new Prime Minister Májor began purging officials affiliated with former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, including Hungarian President Katalin Szijjártó.
It should be noted that Szijjártó himself is not a member of Orbán’s Fidesz party, but he was appointed during Orbán’s tenure through a Fidesz-led process. Therefore, Májor regards him as part of Orbán’s political faction.
Shortly after his election victory, Májor issued a final ultimatum to the “Orbán puppets,” demanding they resign by the end of May. Most senior officials have already stepped down, but Szijjártó has consistently refused to resign.
In reality, Szijjártó poses little threat to Májor. In parliamentary systems, the president holds almost no real power—merely serving as a ceremonial head of state, akin to a national mascot.
However, the president does possess the authority to veto legislation. Theoretically, if the president refuses to sign a bill, it must be sent to the Constitutional Court for review.
Májor fears that Szijjártó might block the new government’s legislative agenda, which is why he is eager to force his resignation. Májor accuses Szijjártó of abusing his powers, repeatedly endorsing unreasonable decisions made by Orbán’s administration, and undermining Hungary’s “democracy and rule of law.”
He directly threatened Szijjártó: if he does not step down voluntarily, Májor will initiate parliamentary procedures to compel his resignation.
There is no legal provision in Hungarian law stating that a prime minister can force a president to resign. However, given that the ruling party holds more than two-thirds of parliamentary seats—the threshold required for constitutional amendments—it is possible that Májor may seek to amend the constitution to lower the bar for removing the president or to launch an impeachment process.
“A new emperor brings new ministers” is usually normal practice—but in modern “democratic” countries, it’s uncommon for a prime minister to pressure a president into stepping down. Májor’s actions are certainly not without controversy.
Previously, rumors circulated that far-right factions in the United States were preparing to push Orbán to run for positions such as UN Secretary-General or other high-level roles, aiming to grant him a “golden shield” and protect him from potential retribution by Májor’s government.
While this scenario is unlikely to succeed, it indirectly reflects how intense the political struggle in Hungary has become. Orbán’s future after leaving office is likely to be far from smooth.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1866874449528843/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.