Hungary premier ups pressure on president

BUDAPEST

Hungary's new Prime Minister Peter Magyar on July 11 upped the pressure on the country's president, an ally of his predecessor whom he wants removed from office, accusing him of misusing public funds.

Pro-EU Magyar took office in May in the central European nation, after toppling nationalist premier Viktor Orban in elections.

Since then he has waged "regime change" that he promised during his campaign and among his top targets is Hungary's president and Orban ally, Tamas Sulyok, with parliament expected to vote on his removal today.

Ahead of the vote, in a series of Facebook posts, Magyar accused Sulyok of misusing public funds during official trips to Britain and the U.S. this year.

Contacted by AFP, the president's office did not immediately respond to the accusations.

Magyar has sought to end Sulyok's term by amending Hungary's basic law, a move that has faced criticism from legal experts, who warn such a move could harm the rule of law.

Magyar says that his blitz of measures since coming to office aims to root out what he calls Orban's "mafia" from the state after 16 years, restore good relations with the European Union, and unlock 16 billion euros ($18.3 billion) in EU funds that were frozen over rule-of-law concerns during the Orban era.

But some political experts and rights groups have criticized the speed and scale of Magyar's moves.