Hungary debates two‑thirds parliamentary majority and institutional independence

Hungarian officials are discussing reforms to the electoral system aimed at preventing a single party from obtaining a two‑thirds majority in the National Assembly. Proposals include requiring two consecutive parliaments to approve constitutional changes, linking certain amendments to a referendum, and altering the voting system – such as returning to a two‑round election, adopting a more proportional seat allocation, or redrawing constituencies on independent criteria.

Parallel reforms target public institutions. New rules would tighten conflict‑of‑interest standards and introduce mixed political‑professional appointments to bodies such as the Independent Media Board, the Constitutional Court, and the State Audit Office. However, the final selection for most senior posts would still require a two‑thirds parliamentary vote, leaving the risk that political influence could override professional nominations. The reforms are compared with models in Germany, Latvia, Italy, France and Austria, highlighting differing balances between parliamentary control and institutional autonomy.