Hungary’s parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Monday that allows prime ministers to serve a maximum eight-year term, preventing former prime minister Viktor Orban from holding the post again.
Prime Minister Peter Magyar ousted Orban in April’s election after 16 years, securing a two-thirds vote in parliament that allows his party to roll back or change legislation passed by Orban’s Fidesz, including the constitution.
The reform was the main campaign promise of the pro-EU conservative Magyar who, in the April election, ousted Orban and promised sweeping reforms as part of a “change of government”.
Magyar said the possibility of unlimited tenure could lead to a concentration of power, pointing to his predecessor as an example, whom critics accused of constantly changing Hungary’s political system to maintain a tight grip on power.
Orban’s party opposed term limits, arguing that they could limit the will of the majority.
The amendment passed the parliament with 135 votes, 50 against, and six abstentions. Under Hungarian law, such a measure can be passed by a two-thirds majority without requiring a referendum.
