Hungarian lawmakers voted 135-50 for a constitutional amendment limiting prime ministers to eight years in office, a change written to count Viktor Orbán’s previous tenure and prevent him from returning to power.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Hungary’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment Monday that would impose an eight-year limit on service as prime minister, a retroactive change aimed at preventing former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from holding the office again.
Lawmakers voted 135-50 in favor of the amendment, which would cap future prime ministers at eight years. Because the measure is written to apply to prior time in office, Orbán’s previous service would count against the new limit.
Orbán served as Hungary’s prime minister for a combined 20 years and remains chairman of the opposition Fidesz party.
The amendment’s sponsor, Márton Melléthei-Barna, framed the measure as part of a broader constitutional and democratic reconstruction effort.
“The restoration of the rule of law will not be born from a single law, but every true democratic reconstruction has symbolic and constitutional pillars,” Melléthei-Barna said.
“This proposal aims to be such a pillar.”
Prime Minister Peter Magyar’s government used its two-thirds parliamentary majority to advance the amendment, part of a rapid series of constitutional changes promised during last year’s election campaign.
The vote marks one of the most significant constitutional revisions since Magyar defeated Orbán in April’s general election. Magyar campaigned on restoring closer relations with the European Union and ending Hungary’s relationship with Russia.
The amendment now goes to President Tamás Sulyok for review. Sulyok has resisted calls from Magyar’s government to resign. If he returns the bill to parliament, lawmakers could override his objections with another vote.
Questions remain over whether the government can legally apply the new restriction to time served before the amendment was passed. That retroactive provision could expose the measure to future legal challenges.
The legislation also seeks to abolish Hungary’s Sovereign Protection Office. Its passage would give the government a path to dismantle public trust foundations created during Orbán’s time in office.
The parliamentary action drew attention online, including a post highlighting the vote and another post noting the measure’s potential effect on Orbán’s political future.
Supporters of the amendment say term limits are necessary to prevent long-term concentration of executive power and to reshape Hungary’s political system after Orbán’s extended tenure. Critics are likely to focus on the retroactive design of the proposal and whether it was crafted primarily to bar one political figure from returning to office.
If finalized, the amendment would formally close Orbán’s path back to the premiership unless the restriction is overturned or successfully challenged.
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