Hungary's parliament limits prime minister terms and thus blocks Viktor Orbán's return to the head of government
The measure, criticized by the opposition, was promised in the campaign by the current prime minister, Péter Magyar, write Reuters and Telex.
Hungary's parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Monday that limits the prime minister's term to a maximum of eight years and retroactively prevents former prime minister Viktor Orbán from holding the post.
The amendment was passed by 135 votes to 50 with six abstentions, thanks to the constitutional majority won by Tisza, the party of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, in the April election.
Péter Magyar promised the measure in the campaign
The proposal was submitted on 20 May not by the government, but in the form of an individual motion by two representatives of the Tisza Party: Márton Melléthei-Barna and István Hantosi.
The measure has already been the target of many critics, as it was not preceded by social and professional consultations, something that many criticized during the last sixteen years of the government led by Viktor Orbán, writes the Telex publication.
At the same time, Péter Magyar promised the main points of the amendment since the campaign, and Melléthei-Barna, who drafted the proposal, spoke about it in the parliamentary debate.
“Unlimited power always ends up, in any democratic system, losing all sense of moderation,” Magyar said, referring to his predecessor on May 26 when introducing the law.
“At some point, there is no longer any distinction between the interests of the state, the party and the leader, and it is necessary to force whoever is elected to think about his succession,” he added.
Fidesz criticized the amendment
Specifically, the amendment states that those who previously held the office of prime minister for at least eight years “cannot be elected prime ministers”. One of the most controversial points, the telex says, is that the amendment applies to prime ministerial terms exercised after May 2, 1990.
Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party harshly criticized the decision, claiming it was passed to exclusively target the former prime minister.
The new law does not completely rule out an Orbán return to power, as it could be revoked in the future by a new amendment to the Constitution, which requires a qualified two-thirds majority in Parliament.
Abolition of the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty
The constitutional amendment also paves the way for the abolition of the Office for the Protection of Sovereignty, set up by Orban's government, which has stigmatized opposition figures and journalists for allegedly serving “foreign interests”.
This controversial agency, wanted by the former prime minister in 2024, has accused the media and NGOs of serving foreign interests.
But she, writes AFP, mainly targeted Orbán's critics, accusing the independent press and NGOs such as Transparency International of serving foreign interests.
The agency has not published any official report since Magyar's election victory on April 12.
