Constitutional change in Hungary sidelines ex-PM Orbán by limiting premiership (retroactively)

Hungary's new government, led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar, has pushed through a significant and controversial constitutional amendment that strictly limits a prime minister's tenure to a maximum of eight years, roughly two terms. This change is particularly impactful as it applies retroactively to all mandates served since the country's democratization in 1990.

The retroactive nature of this amendment effectively blocks any political comeback for former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Orbán has already served a total of 20 years as prime minister, with one term from 1998 to 2002 and a subsequent 16-year continuous period from 2010 until May 2026. His accumulated time in office far exceeds the newly established eight-year limit.

Péter Magyar had pledged this term limit during his campaign as part of a broader initiative to reinstate democratic checks and balances in Hungary. Orbán, during his 16 years in power, had amended the constitution more than a dozen times to suit his agenda. Magyar's new party secured an overwhelming 71 percent majority in parliament, enabling the swift passage of this amendment.

While the measure is popular among Hungarians wary of a return to an "illiberal" regime, legal experts have raised concerns. They argue that enacting laws with retroactive effect to specifically sideline an individual is legally precarious and could set a dangerous precedent for the future. Nevertheless, the amendment passed with substantial parliamentary support.