Hungary's parliament on June 15 approved a constitutional amendment imposing an eight-year limit on time served as prime minister, effectively preventing former premier Viktor Orban from ever returning to the country's top political office, Nepszava.hu writes. The 16th Amendment of the Fundamental Law (Constitution) also paves the way for the dismantling of two key institutions created during the last 16 years.

The amendments mark one of the most consequential constitutional changes since Tisza came to power. The measures signal the new government's intention to unwind key elements of the political and institutional system built during Orban's 16 years in power.

The amendment, proposed by lawmakers from the ruling Tisza Party, passed with 135 votes in favour, 50 against and six abstentions, applies retroactively to all premierships held since May 2, 1990. It stipulates that a prime minister's mandate automatically ends once the eight-year threshold is reached.

The change effectively bars Orban from returning to office, as he served between 1998 and 2002 and again from 2010 until 2026, accumulating around 20 years in power. The provision would also apply to future prime ministers

Opposition party Fidesz sharply criticised the amendment, calling it an unprecedented restriction on democratic competition. In a statement, the party said the measure was "ad hominem" and retroactive legislation designed to exclude the leader of the largest opposition party from political competition.

The constitutional amendment also removes the legal basis for the Sovereignty Protection Office (SPO), an institution established in 2023 that was „tasked with protecting Hungary's constitutional identity”. SPO, however, became one of the Orban government's most controversial bodies, targeting independent media, NGOs and government opponents under the guise of combating foreign influence. During the parliamentary debate, Tisza lawmakers argued that it was primarily used to intimidate government critics.

The government modified its original proposal after Fidesz accused it of removing constitutional protections for Hungary's Christian culture. The final version retained references to protecting constitutional identity and Christian culture while removing only the sentence authorising the Sovereignty Protection Office.

Another significant element of the amendment concerns public-interest asset management foundations, known by their Hungarian acronym, KEKVA. These foundations became central to the Orban government's restructuring of higher education and management of public assets.

Under the amendment, assets transferred by the state to these foundations, including investment returns and replacement assets, will revert to state ownership upon a foundation's dissolution. The state will also assume all founder rights, including the authority to terminate the foundations. The issue has become a central point in the political agreement between the European Commission and Hungary on the release of frozen EU funds.

The amendment will enter into force the day after its promulgation.

Speaking in an interview with Index.hu recorded before parliament's final vote, Orban said the amendment was not a general rule governing future prime ministers but a politically motivated attempt to target him personally.

He described the measure as an effort to "ban" him from the electorate, which he called both funny and ridiculous and said political rivals should defeat opponents through elections rather than legal restrictions. "They have been in government for one month. They shouldn't be dreaming about eight years," he said. In his view, the constitutional amendment was an attempt to settle political disputes through legal means.