On June 16, Hungary's parliament approved a constitutional amendment limiting the prime minister's term to a maximum of eight years, with 150 votes in favor, 50 against, and 6 abstentions. Former Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party opposed the measure but could not block it.
This amendment was a key campaign promise of the Tisza party led by Prime Minister Peter Magyar, which won a landslide victory in April's elections, ending Orban's 16-year rule.
It is among the first reforms of the new government aimed at improving relations with the European Union (EU). In his initial weeks in power, Prime Minister Magyar committed to bringing Hungary into the eurozone and lifting its long-standing veto on Ukraine's EU accession process, which Kyiv officially began on June 16.
Observers noted that the EU is pleased to see former Prime Minister Orban prevented from returning to power, as his 16 years in office—marked by pro-Russian and illiberal policies—had caused significant difficulties for the bloc, particularly in its efforts to support Ukraine.
The vote also paves the way for other reforms, including the dissolution of the Sovereignty Protection Office—a body established in 2023 to "safeguard Hungary from foreign influence," but criticized as a tool for investigating journalists and NGOs critical of Orban. Lawmakers are expected to vote on the bill to dissolve this agency by the end of June.
Former Prime Minister Orban was recently re-elected as leader of Fidesz on June 14, despite his April electoral defeat. On social media, Orban sarcastically remarked: "The Orban law has been passed. It was the most urgent matter... If you need me, I will be here."
