Hungarian PM Péter Magyar Gives President Ultimatum to Resign Hungary’s political drama has turned into a countdown: a prime minister publicly telling the president to pack up and go, and a president coolly insisting he’s going nowhere.

On May 19, Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar escalated a simmering standoff by announcing that President Tamás Sulyok “will leave his post” and “can do so voluntarily by May 31st.” In parallel coverage, Magyar was quoted giving Sulyok a firm deadline: the president “can do so voluntarily by May 31st.”

The trigger was Sulyok’s interview with Hungarian outlet Index, in which he reportedly declared he had no intention of resigning because he was acting “in accordance with the constitutional framework.” Magyar fired back on Facebook, branding Sulyok’s roughly two-year presidency “inglorious” and claiming he had “not passed the test of human, legal, and political capabilities” during his term.

From there, the clash turned personal. Magyar accused Sulyok of lying “about many things,” including “the duties of the President of the Republic” and even their private conversations. He alleged that at their first meeting Sulyok did not reject a “clear call” to resign but said he would consider it, and that in a second meeting the president asked whether it would be appropriate to discuss the details of his resignation with the justice minister.

Sulyok, for his part, has framed the dispute as political pressure colliding with legal reality. He insists there is “no constitutional or legal reason” to justify his resignation and says he intends to continue in office on the basis of his oath. He describes his talks with Magyar as held in a “sincere atmosphere,” maintaining his legal position “has not changed” and that he is performing his duties within the constitutional order.

As the May 31 deadline looms, Magyar is betting that public pressure will force the president out. Sulyok is betting that the constitution will keep him in. Hungary now has twelve days to find out which bet pays off.