According to the new law approved, the position of prime minister is limited to eight years
Hungary’s parliament approved this Monday a constitutional amendment that establishes an eight-year limit for holding the office of prime minister, which could prevent former head of government Viktor Orbán from returning to the role.
The move follows Péter Magyar’s electoral victory in April, which removed Orbán from power after 16 years and secured a two-thirds majority in parliament, allowing his party to reverse or amend legislation passed by Fidesz, including the Constitution itself.
According to the new approved wording, anyone who has served as head of the Government for at least eight years “cannot be elected Prime Minister”, with this rule applying to terms beginning after May 2, 1990. In practice, government leaders are limited to two terms or a maximum of eight years in office.
The constitutional review also provides for the dissolution of the so-called Sovereignty Protection Office, created during Orbán’s government, which was accused of stigmatizing opposition figures and journalists under the allegation of serving “foreign interests”.
The change also includes the return to the State of the founding rights of public interest asset management foundations, to which Orbán’s government had transferred state assets valued at hundreds of billions of forints, the Hungarian currency.
