Chess legend Judit Polgar rejects Hungary presidency offer from Peter Magyar

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Chess legend Judit Polgar rejects Hungary presidency offer from Peter Magyar
Hungarys PM proposes chess grandmaster Polgár as president after Sulyoks dismissal
Hungary's prime minister proposes chess champion Judit Polgar as next president
Continuation
Chess legend Judit Polgar on Monday turned down Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar's offer to become the country's next president.
Polgar, widely considered the greatest female chess player in history, said she does not feel she has the strength to take on the historic responsibility of uniting a divided nation. "I do not feel I have the strength to take on the historic responsibility of... uniting a divided nation, and so I am unable to accept the invitation," Polgar posted on social media.
Magyar had nominated Polgar as a figure from outside politics to help carry out his promise of regime change from former Prime Minister Viktor Orban's hardline 16-year tenure. The pro-European conservative had urged Polgar to accept the mostly symbolic post.
The offer was made late on Sunday, and Polgar's decision was announced on Monday. The Tisza parliamentary group publicly backed her in parliament. However, critics noted that, contrary to earlier promises, her nomination was not preceded by broad public consultation.
After Polgar's decision, Magyar responded with a comment thanking her for her contributions to Hungary. "Dear Judit, thank you for everything you have done for Hungary. I believe I can say, on behalf of millions of Hungarians, that even if in a different capacity, we will continue to count on you in the future," he wrote.
The constitutional amendment that ended the mandate of current President Tamás Sulyok was signed into law on Saturday. Until a successor is elected, the Speaker of Parliament, Agnes Forsthoffer, is serving as interim head of state. Parliament must elect a new president within 30 days.
Leaders of the governing Tisza party have repeatedly said they want the president to be elected directly by the public rather than by parliament. As a result, the president elected now could serve only temporarily, until a new constitution is adopted.
Political reactions to Polgar's decision were mixed. Government party politicians expressed regret that the chess grandmaster did not accept the presidential offer, while opposition figures saw it as Magyar's first failure.
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