Hungary imposes eight-year term limit, blocking Orbn from returning as PM
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8 days · 4 summary articles
Hungary’s parliament on Monday approved a constitutional amendment limiting prime ministers to a maximum of eight years in office, a move that effectively bars former premier Viktor Orbán from ever returning to power. The legislation, passed by a two-thirds majority in the 199-seat National Assembly, was adopted with 135 votes in favour, 50 against and six abstentions . The change applies retroactively, meaning Orbán’s 20 years as prime minister—spanning four consecutive terms since 2010—would count toward the new cap.
The amendment was a central pledge of Prime Minister Péter Magyar, whose pro-European Tisza party won a landslide in April’s election, ending Orbán’s Fidesz party’s 16-year rule. With the two-thirds majority, Tisza can now reshape legislation and the constitution, reversing key policies enacted under Orbán’s government. The new term limit applies to all future prime ministers, regardless of whether terms are consecutive, and was framed by supporters as a safeguard against prolonged one-party dominance.
Orbán, who has led Hungary since 2010, dismissed the move as politically motivated. “The Tisza party has made itself look ridiculous by adopting this proposal,” he said in a statement, accusing the government of trying to isolate him from public life . His allies in Fidesz condemned the amendment as an undemocratic attempt to entrench Tisza’s power, warning it could set a precedent for further restrictions on political competition.
International observers and opposition figures have framed the change as a significant shift toward democratic normalisation in Hungary. The European Union, which has clashed repeatedly with Orbán over rule-of-law concerns, has not yet commented on the amendment. Analysts note that while the law prevents Orbán from regaining the premiership, it does not bar him from other political roles, leaving open the possibility of continued influence within Fidesz or through allied institutions.
The constitutional amendment now awaits formal promulgation, though its passage is considered a formality given Tisza’s supermajority. With Orbán’s political future seemingly foreclosed by the new rule, attention will turn to how his party adapts to life in opposition and whether the term limit becomes a model for broader institutional reforms in Hungary.
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