The leader of the Tisza party, Péter Magyar, winner of last Sunday's elections in Hungary, has demanded this Monday the immediate resignation of the Hungarian president, Tamás Sulyok, whom he accuses of having acted as a "puppet" of the still prime minister, Viktor Orbán, within the framework of a political system that, he claims, citizens have rejected at the polls.
In his first press conference after the electoral victory, Magyar has maintained that the head of state “has no moral authority” to continue in office and has reproached him for an attitude of “institutional passivity” before key decisions of the Executive, including controversies related to pardons and the functioning of the judicial system.
The leader has raised the tone when describing the country's situation as the result of years of management in which, he has stated, Hungary has been “robbed, indebted, and plundered”, promising the creation of a commission to investigate the use of public funds and possible diversions towards circles close to the previous government.
Institutional tension after the political change in Hungary
Despite his criticisms of the president, Magyar has urged to respect the constitutional deadlines and has demanded that the government formation process begin “without exhausting the 30 days foreseen” after the official certification of the electoral results.
The leader of Tisza has assured that his party has a sufficient parliamentary majority to govern and has proposed a program of “institutional reconstruction” after what he has defined as the end of a political stage.
Clash with Orbán and promise of rupture of the previous model
Magyar has placed the beginning of his mandate as a turning point in Hungarian politics, with promises to reverse decisions of the outgoing Executive, among them the country's withdrawal from the International Criminal Court.
On the international level, it has defended a pro-European line with a pragmatic approach, including the maintenance of relations with Russia, although it has underlined the need to put an end to the war in Ukraine.
The leader has also announced his intention to request Hungary's reincorporation into the International Criminal Court, in contrast with the decision adopted by the previous government.
New political stage in Budapest
Magyar has also announced that his immediate priority will be the recovery of blocked European funds and the re-establishment of the institutional relationship with Brussels, after maintaining, according to what he has stated, contacts with the European Commission.
With this move, the new Hungarian leader opens a phase of high institutional tension in Budapest, marked by the confrontation with Orbán's political legacy and by the redefinition of the role of the country's president in the transition towards a new government.