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Shkruar nga Ashifa Kassam
Péter Magyar has proposed a constitutional amendment that limits the prime minister's term to a maximum of eight years, thus preventing Viktor Orbán from returning to power.
Hungary's new government, led by Peter Magyar, has presented a constitutional amendment that would limit prime ministers to a maximum of eight years in office, effectively barring Viktor Orban from returning to the role.
The draft amendment was presented on Wednesday, a little more than a week after the new government took office. It marks the first step by Magyar and his Tisza party in dismantling a constitution that was rewritten and unilaterally amended more than a dozen times as Orbán and his Fidesz party worked to transform Hungary into what they called a “Petri dish for illiberalism.”
During more than two years of election campaigning in Hungary, he repeatedly promised to impose term limits, describing them as part of a broader effort to restore the country's democratic checks and balances.
As his party celebrated a landslide victory in last month's elections, analysts immediately said the new government faces a difficult task in rebuilding degraded public services and a stagnant economy, a situation aggravated by the presence of many Fidesz loyalists in the state, media and judiciary.
The draft amendment appears to be an attempt to avoid the possibility of Orbán exploiting the situation to stage a comeback, declaring that term limits are “essential” for restoring the rule of law.
"A person who has served as prime minister for a total of at least eight years, including any interruptions, cannot be elected prime minister again," the text states.
The calculation would apply to all terms held since the country’s democratization in 1990, meaning Orbán, who has served five terms as prime minister since 1998, with a total of 20 years in power, would be excluded. However, the amendment is not considered completely unassailable, as any future leader with a two-thirds majority can submit an amendment to extend his time in power.
Another point in the draft amendment, which is expected to be approved given Tisza's supermajority in parliament, paves the way for the dissolution of the controversial office for the protection of sovereignty.
Established during Orbán's final years in power, the office was widely accused of aiming to silence critics of his government by allowing Hungarian intelligence services to access information on individuals and organizations without judicial oversight.
As the new government rushes to unblock billions of dollars in frozen EU funds, the draft amendment also addresses a long-standing point of contention with the bloc, regaining control over foundations that during Orbán's time were used to administer nearly two dozen universities and study centers, such as the Mathias Corvinus Collegium.
Under the previous government, the boards of directors of these foundations, many of which were made up of Orbán loyalists, were given full control over these assets.
"This eliminated democratic control over public assets and resulted in an abuse of legislative power ," the draft amendment states.
The proposal stipulates that the state can dissolve these foundations.
"The amendment makes it clear that, although foundations are private entities, their assets are national property," the text states.
The draft amendment is expected to be discussed next week, when the National Assembly convenes.
In the weeks since his election victory, Magyar has sought to emphasize his government's separation from the past, vowing to suspend broadcasts of state media outlets that functioned as Orbán's mouthpieces, calling on Orbán-era appointees to resign, and apologizing to teachers, journalists, and public figures who were slandered by the state during Orbán's rule.
His government has also made clear that this profound change applies to foreign relations. In mid-May, the new Foreign Minister, Anita Orbán, said she had summoned the Russian ambassador to Hungary over a massive drone attack in Ukraine, marking a sharp turn from her predecessor’s close relations with Moscow.
She wrote on social media: “I told the Russian ambassador that it was completely unacceptable for Hungary that Transcarpathia, home to the Hungarian minority, is now being attacked. I stressed that Russia must do everything for an immediate ceasefire and for a peaceful and sustainable end to the war as soon as possible.”/ Adapted from “Pamphlet”, from “The Gurdian”
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