Hungary Passes Term Limits Barring Viktor Orbán From Office

The Hungarian parliament approved a constitutional amendment on June 15, 2026, that limits the prime minister's tenure to a maximum of eight years. The measure passed with a 135-to-50 vote and applies retroactively to all terms served since May 2, 1990. This legislation effectively bars former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who served approximately 20 years across two terms between 1998 and 2026, from ever returning to office.

Proposed by Prime Minister Peter Magyar and his Tisza party following a landslide victory in April, the reform is part of a broader effort to dismantle the previous administration's apparatus. The amendment facilitates the dissolution of the Sovereignty Protection Office and requires public-interest asset-management foundations, such as the Mathias Corvinus Collegium, to return state assets to the government. These moves aim to address rule-of-law concerns to secure 16.4 billion euros in funding from the European Commission.

Orbán and his Fidesz party condemned the move as lawfare and an attempt to exclude political opponents from democratic competition. Meanwhile, Magyar has pressured President Tamás Sulyok to resign. Sulyok has refused, characterizing the demands as a threat to the democratic system and the rule of law. The amendment now awaits Sulyok's signature to be fully codified. The law also applies to the current administration, limiting Magyar's own eligibility to 2034.