Hungary's PM proposes chess prodigy Judit Polgar for president

Published Jul 20, 06:02 AM UTC

Hungary's new Prime Minister Péter Magyar has proposed former chess prodigy Judit Polgar for the office of President, following the dismissal of President Tamas Suylok by parliament. Magyar's Tisza party, holding a two-thirds majority, passed a constitutional amendment that ended Suylok's term immediately. Polgar, a five-time Olympic champion who led women's world chess rankings for 26 years, has no political experience but runs a foundation promoting education and equal opportunities. Magyar hopes she will accept the nomination. The constitutional reform also introduces a 12-year term limit for MPs and a 70-year age limit for constitutional judges, forcing Orban confidant Peter Polt into retirement. Former Prime Minister Viktor Orban criticized the reforms, claiming tyranny is now a reality. Parliament Speaker Agnes Forsthoffer will serve as interim president until a successor is elected.

Content shown outside its original language is machine translated and condensed.