Hungarian PM launches tour of free country from Orban’s ‘mafia’ | Political Affairs

The proposed changes include a new law enforcement office and an anti-corruption office, as well as the removal of the president.

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has launched a major reform plan to get the country out of exile imposed by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

In a scathing speech to parliament on Monday, Magyar announced a series of economic, political and legal measures called “Operation Cleaning Fire”. The plan will make the government of Tisza’s party introduce a new law, remove the national institutions, establish a new anti-corruption office, and remove the president.

“We will liberate our country from the political and economic slavery that has dominated the past 16 years,” Magyar said.

Hungarian took responsibility in April, do not climb down who was the prime minister after 16 years of rule. Orban’s Fidesz party spent that time using its majority to seize almost all power in Hungary. He was also accused of organizing corruption, forcing Hungary closer to Russia, and causing conflicts within the European Union.

Tisza now faces the difficult task of unraveling the web, ridding Hungary of corruption and removing Orban’s key allies from the power pyramid.

This change is part of the campaign to reform the Magyar government. Using the number of Tisza rules, they are stuck to achieve the agreement and the EU to introduce reforms that would unlock 16.4 billion euros ($19bn) of funding — closed due to legal challenges in the Orban administration — by the end of August.

The key to that drive is the removal of President Tamas Sulyok. Magyar has called on the head of state – appointed by Orban – to step down, and on Monday he wants to change the law to remove him.

The Hungarian president has limited powers, but he can delay the implementation of laws by sending them back to parliament or sending them to the Constitutional Court.

Sulyok maintained that he had no political intentions. Fidesz lawmaker Gergely Gulyas called Magyar’s speech on Monday “slanderous and frightening”.

The Magyar plan will see the election of a new president, for five years, if Sulyok is removed.

A constitutional review, culminating in a public consultation, will begin in September and be voted on.

Other changes would set the age limit for judges at the Constitutional Court to 70, force Orban ally Peter Polt to step down as chief justice, and reduce the term of office to 12 for lawmakers.

Citing statistics showing that corruption has cost Hungarians 8 to 10 percent of their gross domestic product in recent years, Magyar vowed that Hungary’s top talent would provide a new anti-corruption agency.

“The best police officers, the best investigators and the best experts will work in this agency,” Magyar said.

Earlier this month, the Hungarian parliament approved the constitutional amendment limiting the term of office to eight years, preventing Orban from returning in the future.

Parliament also voted to repeal the law establishing the Sovereignty Protection Office, which was established in 2023 to protect Hungary from “foreign influence” and was used to investigate Orban’s opponents.

Closing the office was among the priorities Human Rights Watch advocated in April, along with “moving swiftly to meet the legal requirements” that EU funds require, including judicial rights and anti-corruption protections.