Hungarian parliament rules out Orban return with eight-year limit for prime ministers

BUDAPEST - Hungary's parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Monday that allows prime ministers to serve for a maximum of eight years, effectively barring former premier Viktor Orban from holding the role again.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar ousted Orban in an election in April after 16 years, gaining a two-thirds majority in parliament that allows his party to roll back or change legislation passed by Orban's Fidesz, ⁠including the constitution.

• The amendment says that those who had ​previously held the role of prime minister for at least eight years "cannot be elected prime minister." This applies to prime ministerial terms held after the date ​of May 2, 1990.

• Prime ministers will ​have to leave office after a total of eight years, or two terms.

• The constitutional amendment also paves the way for the dissolution of the Sovereignty Protection Office, set up by Orban's government, that stigmatised opposition figures and journalists for ‌serving "foreign interests."

• In addition, the amendment gives back the founders' rights of ​so-called public-interest asset-management foundations to the state. Orban's government transferred state assets worth hundreds of billions of forints to these foundations.

(Reporting by Anita Komuves; Editing by Hugh Lawson)

Copyright Reuters or USA Today Network via Reuters Connect.

This story was originally published June 15, 2026 at 12:10 PM.