Prime Minister Peter Magyar Nominates Judit Polgár for Presidency

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar nominated chess grandmaster Judit Polgár for the presidency on Sunday, July 19, 2026. Magyar described Polgár as a potential unifying figure for the nation and scheduled a meeting with her for Monday, July 20, to formally ask if she is prepared to serve until a new constitution is adopted.

The nomination follows the departure of President Tamás Sulyok, whose term ended Sunday after he signed a constitutional amendment passed by Magyar's Tisza party that terminated his presidency. Sulyok was an ally of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, and Magyar has aimed to remove officials appointed during the previous administration as part of a promised regime change. Speaker of the National Assembly Ágnes Forsthoffer is currently serving as the temporary head of state until Parliament elects a new president within 30 days.

While sixteen leading figures in science, culture, and sport support Polgár's nomination, the Ügyvédkör lawyers' group has proposed Péter Bárándy as an alternative candidate. Human Rights Watch criticized the constitutional amendment, stating the move is reminiscent of the previous Fidesz administration.