Hungary's Viktor Orbán barred from returning as new PM Péter Magyar imposes eight‑year term limit

After sixteen years in power, former Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán's party Fidesz lost the parliamentary election. The opposition TISZA party, led by Péter Magyar, won a two‑thirds majority and formed a new government.

Magyar's administration quickly passed a constitutional amendment limiting any prime minister to a maximum of eight years in office, a rule applied retroactively to Orbán's tenure, effectively preventing him from returning to the premiership. The reform also triggered the resignation of President Tamás Sulyok and other senior officials, and the previously dominant state‑aligned media network was largely shut down.

The changes are presented as a safeguard against prolonged concentration of power, while critics argue they restrict voters' choice. The shift marks a major reconfiguration of Hungary's political and legal system after a decade and a half of Orbán's rule.