Hungarian parliament limits prime minister’s term in office

Hungary’s parliament has approved a constitutional amendment limiting the powers of the prime minister to two four-year terms.

The initiative was supported by 134 lawmakers in a vote on Monday, June 15, while 50 voted against and six abstained, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

The rule applies retroactively to everyone who has held the office of prime minister since 1990. This means former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán would be barred from returning to the post, as he has already served five terms.

The term-limit reform was one of the election promises of Péter Magyar, who became prime minister following the April 12 parliamentary elections. He argued that the measure would help prevent excessive concentration of power.

The amendment was backed in parliament by Magyar’s Tisza Party, while Orbán’s Fidesz party voted against it.

By Jeyhun Aghazada