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Hungary’s Parliament Caps Prime Ministers at Eight Years to Block Orbán Return

Magyar frames the change as restoring rule of law to repair ties with the European Union.

Overview

  • Parliament used Tisza’s two-thirds majority to approve a constitutional amendment that limits any prime minister to eight years in office and includes wording reported as retroactive.
  • The amendment, passed in votes reported on Monday, now sits on President Tamás Sulyok’s desk while he has refused to resign and sought legal review of the change.
  • The package also strips the legal basis for Orbán-era structures, including the Sovereign Protection Office and public trust foundations, and paves the way for bills to dismantle or repurpose those bodies.
  • Opponents and some Fidesz figures say the measure is tailored to bar Viktor Orbán and argue retroactive application would be unlawful, a dispute that is likely to trigger constitutional and possibly European legal scrutiny.
  • Magyar says the reforms are part of a return to the EU mainstream and link to pledges to adopt the euro and lift Hungary’s vetoes on Ukraine, changes that could affect frozen EU funds and relations with Brussels.