Press release of the Sándor Palace On the provisions of the Sixteenth Amendment to the Fundamental Law restricting the election of the Prime Minister On June 15 2026, the National Assembly has adopted the Sixteenth Amendment to the Fundamental Law. The President of the Republic may only review an amendment to the Fundamental Law specifically regarding procedural requirements relevant to its adoption set forth by the Fundamental Law. The President of the Republic has determined that the Amendment is in compliance with such requirements, conditions for initiating ex ante review of constitutionality are not met. As part of the amendment, the National Assembly decided that no one may be elected as Prime Minister who has already, in total - even with interruptions -, held this office for at least eight years. As per the justification of the Amendment, the change was found necessary by the constitution-making power to protect the constitutional principles of the rule of law and democracy. The regulatory solution chosen, however, may be considered quite unique both in a European and global sense. In light of all of these factors, the President of the Republic intends to declare the following regarding the amendment. It is the basis of the parliamentary form of government that the mandates of the Prime Minister and the Government are contingent upon the confidence of the National Assembly, coupled with the answerability of Government to the National Assembly. With respect to the oversight function of the National Assembly, no restrictions on the term of the Prime Minister have ever been considered necessary either in Hungarian before this time, or more recently in any other European parliamentary democracy. As to the constitutional principle of democracy, the decision of the National Assembly to elect the Prime Minister happens to be the most significant indirect representation of popular will. Restricting the term of the Prime Minister simultaneously means restricting this decision as well. The right to hold public office is not constitutionally unrestricted. The amendment does not affect the active term of a sitting Prime Minister in office and changes the conditions of the election to that position for the future. The terms of prime ministers in office since the democratic transition are only significant in relation to this restriction. Considering the above, in accordance with duties prescribed by the Fundamental Law, the President of the Republic has duly signed and promulgated the Amendment to the Fundamental Law, and ordered its publication in the Official Gazette.(Dr. Tamás Sulyok)