New Hungarian PM Promises a Constitutional Amendment to Ban Orbán From Running Again
Peter Magyar, the winner of the Hungarian elections, has announced that his government will seek an amendment to the constitution to prohibit outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from running for a new term.
In an apparent attempt to strengthen his grip on power in Budapest, Péter Magyar, the leader of the Tisza Party, said that as soon as he has formed a government, he will strive to introduce term limits for prime ministers, local news outlet Portfolio reported , writes Kurt Zindulka .
Since he secured a two-thirds majority in the Hungarian parliament in Sunday’s elections, Magyar will likely have the necessary votes to amend the constitution and impose such restrictions.
Crucially, the likely new prime minister stated that the legislative amendment would apply retroactively, which means it would prevent outgoing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán from running for a new term.
At only 63 years of age, it is not inconceivable that Orbán will attempt a comeback, as he did before after losing power for the first time in 2002.
Magyar, however, said that Orbán should not be eligible for re-election because he has been Prime Minister for 20 years out of the past 36 years.
“A prime minister may serve only two terms, eight years,” he said. To further strengthen his grip on power, Magyar also said on Monday that he would suspend all public news media, which are accused of favoring Orbán and his Fidesz party. The Tisza leader said they would be suspended until their “objectivity” could be guaranteed.
This measure is reminiscent of the 2023 police raid on the Polish state broadcaster TVP, which was ordered by the new, Brussels-friendly government immediately after defeating the long-ruling conservatives. The heads of various broadcasters were dismissed by the new government, and some stations were taken off the air.
While Magyar is acting quickly this week to strengthen his position in Budapest, his first major external challenge presented itself on Monday. According to the Financial Times , the European Commission has presented the incoming prime minister with a list of 27 demands if he is to release the 35 billion euros in funds that Brussels refused to give to Orbán’s previous government.
The demands reportedly entail, among other things, that Budapest adhere to EU asylum legislation. This could place Magyar in his first confrontation with the EU leadership, given that he campaigned as a hardliner on immigration. Opponents, however, have noted that Magyar’s party has ties to Soros-affiliated proponents of open borders.
The political newcomer could decide that it is worthwhile to backtrack on his campaign promises if he can thereby secure the billions in funding to support the struggling Hungarian economy.
During the campaign, the EU faced accusations from the United States that it improperly withheld funds from Hungary to thwart Orbán’s re-election attempt, effectively blackmailing Hungarian voters into supporting Magyar.
Despite the prospect that he will not be able to regain his premiership, Orbán said on Monday that the “work begins today” and that he intends to defend his achievements from the opposition benches in parliament.