The Hungarian parliament has passed the government’s 17th amendment to the Basic Law, overriding a boycott by the opposition Fidesz party.
The vote concluded a marathon session that lasted more than ten hours and extended into the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Despite Fidesz lawmakers’ refusal to participate in the debate or the final vote, the ruling Tisza faction held sufficient seats to meet the two-thirds threshold required for constitutional changes, rendering the opposition’s protest symbolic rather than obstructive.
The amendment, submitted by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, introduces significant structural changes to the state framework.
While the specific provisions were debated extensively during the extended session, the core outcome remains the consolidation of the current government’s legislative agenda.
The opposition’s decision to walk out was framed as a refusal to legitimize what they termed an unconstitutional process, but it failed to halt the legislative machinery.