German foreign policy officials have defended the recent constitutional changes in Hungary, which include mechanisms that could remove the incumbent state president.
Jürgen Hardt, the foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group, told Spiegel that the new, clear majorities in the Hungarian Parliament made it unavoidable to dismantle the legacy of Viktor Orbán. Hardt stated that President Sulyok had been responsible for numerous restrictions on freedom and the rule of law in Hungary, shattering citizens’ confidence in the president.
Adis Ahmetovic, the foreign policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, also backed Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s approach. He referenced the experiences in Poland, arguing that the dismantling of authoritarian structures must not be delayed for too long. Failing to do so, he warned, risks allowing the political forces gathered around former Prime Minister Orbán to reorganize and derail the democratic transition.
On Monday, Prime Minister Magyar’s Tisza faction passed a package in the National Assembly in Budapest designed to overhaul the former Fidesz system established by Orbán.
