Hungary’s Constitutional Court has elected a new president. On Monday, November 2, 2026, the court’s plenary voted in a secret ballot to appoint Pál Sonnevend—a distinguished lawyer and university professor—as head of the institution. He assumed the role immediately, with his mandate set for three years. Sonnevend listed his key priorities as restoring trust in constitutional justice, strengthening the court’s internal cohesion, and improving relationships with partner institutions across Europe.
This leadership change comes after substantial constitutional and organizational reforms implemented by the new parliamentary majority in Hungary. Sonnevend’s appointment is not without controversy, as opposition party Fidesz questions both the legitimacy of his election as a constitutional judge and, by extension, his presidency of the court.
Pál Sonnevend assumes office immediately
The plenary of the Hungarian Constitutional Court selected its new president by secret ballot. According to the official announcement, Sonnevend assumed the presidency immediately upon election, with a term lasting three years.
In his leadership program, he identified three main priorities. First is restoring the public’s trust in constitutional justice. Second is strengthening cooperation and cohesion among judges. Third is intensifying relationships with counterpart constitutional institutions across Europe.
Trust in the independence of the judiciary has long been a contentious issue in Hungary. In recent years, the country has repeatedly clashed with European institutions over the state of rule of law, the functioning of the courts, and political influence over state bodies.
The new president takes office at a time when the court faces not only personnel changes but also significant political expectations.
Extensive academic and government experience
Pál Sonnevend is an expert in constitutional, international, and European public law, with decades of experience.
He graduated from the Faculty of Law at Loránd Eötvös University (ELTE) in Budapest in 1995 and earned his doctorate at Ruprecht Karl University in Heidelberg, Germany.
Since 2017, Sonnevend has worked as a professor at ELTE, heading the Department of International and European Public Law. Between 2019 and 2025, he served as dean of the law faculty.
He also has direct experience in top constitutional institutions. From 1997 to 2000, he was an advisor to then-president of the Constitutional Court, László Sólyom. He later worked in the Office of the President, providing constitutional legal expertise to Presidents Ferenc Mádl and László Sólyom, and led the constitutional law department within the office.
His background thus combines academic achievement, constitutional law, and hands-on work within state institutions.
Fidesz challenges his appointment
Sonnevend’s election as president of the Constitutional Court is the subject of political dispute. Parliament elected him as a constitutional judge at the end of July 2026 as nominee of the TISZA party, led by Péter Magyar.
His candidacy was supported by 138 MPs, with six voting against.
Opposition party Fidesz has criticized the outcome. Its representatives argue that Sonnevend was not properly elected as a constitutional judge and therefore question his legitimacy to serve as president of the court.
This criticism is part of a broader political conflict between Hungary’s new ruling party TISZA and the former governing party Fidesz. The dispute extends beyond Sonnevend’s individual candidacy to encompass systemic reforms to state institutions pushed through by the new parliamentary majority after their election victory.
The political tensions surrounding the overhaul of Hungary’s institutions are discussed further in the article: “Hungary Faces Constitutional Crisis: Parliament Removes President, Orbán Warns of Dangerous Precedent.”
Constitutional amendment changes court governance
The selection of a new president is directly linked to wide-reaching changes brought about by the 17th amendment to the Hungarian constitution. Parliament approved the amendment in July 2026, altering internal rules for the Constitutional Court.
The amendment reinstated an upper age limit of 70 for constitutional judges, set the judicial mandate at nine years, and restored the court’s plenary right to elect its own president.
This final change is particularly important in understanding the current personnel shift, as the president is now chosen by the court’s judges—not by any external body.
Because of the new age limit, several members’ mandates ended. On September 1, 2026, the term of then-president Péter Polt and three other judges expired as they reached age 70.
Vice-president Ágnes Czine then served as acting president. With her interim mandate set to end in mid-November, the election of a new president was critical for institutional stability.
Further analysis of the broader post-election changes initiated by Péter Magyar can be found in the article: “Hungary Rewrites the Rules After Change in Government: Magyar Reshapes State Institutions, Orbán Mobilizes Supporters.”
Magyar cabinet continues institutional overhaul after Orbán era
Sonnevend’s election is another step in the far-reaching transformation of Hungary’s political and institutional landscape. After TISZA’s victory in the April 2026 elections, the new government led by Péter Magyar has begun reshaping the functioning of several state organs.
The reforms affect the judiciary, the presidency, and other institutions previously linked to Viktor Orbán’s tenure. The government claims its goal is to strengthen oversight mechanisms, restore trust in the state, and enhance the rule of law.
The opposition, however, warns that rapid personnel and legislative changes may pose a risk to the independence of institutions by opening the door to political interference.
The independence of top courts also features in wider debates. Disputes over the leadership of Hungary’s Supreme Court and its president—covered in the article, “Magyar Calls for Supreme Court President’s Resignation Amid Secret Luxury Apartment Scandal, Accusations Denied by Court Leadership”—have heightened political tensions.
A challenging task ahead for the new president
Pál Sonnevend takes the helm of the Constitutional Court pledging to restore public trust and strengthen cooperation with European partners. Achieving these goals, however, will require more than just a change in leadership.
What matters now is how the court will rule on sensitive constitutional disputes, whether it can maintain its independence from political interests, and how it communicates its decisions to the public.
The relationship between the court’s new management and political leaders—with differing views on the legitimacy of recent changes—will also be significant.
Sonnevend’s appointment represents not just a personnel shift, but another phase in the reconstruction of Hungary’s constitutional institutions. Whether he succeeds in restoring trust in the judiciary will be evident only over the next three years.
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This article was translated from the original Slovak version with the assistance of AI.
