Hungary's President Tamás Sulyok, an appointee of former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, on Friday approved a constitutional amendment barring the same Orbán from returning to office. The amendment limits prime ministers to no more than eight years in office – a direct response to Orbán's 20-year tenure. The Hungarian parliament overwhelmingly approved the amendment on Monday, sending it to the president's desk for his signature. The amendment follows a longtime campaign promise by the Magyar government to introduce term limits, which would also apply to Prime Minister Péter Magyar. In his decision, Sulyok wrote that the popularly dubbed "lex Orbán" was "virtually unique both in Europe and worldwide." Although he signed the amendment instead of sending it to the Constitutional Court for review, he said that the decision would be "limiting" the will of the people. Meanwhile, Magyar is working to remove president Sulyok from office, accusing him of being a "puppet" of the previous regime. The incoming prime minister's efforts to turn the page on the Orbán regime ran into trouble earlier this year when Sulyok rejected Magyar's demand that he resign, setting up what Sulyok has called a "constitutional crisis."
Across the globe, Zimbabwe's lower house of parliament has passed a bill in the opposite direction – extending presidential terms from five to seven years, which would allow President Emmerson Mnangagwa to remain in power until 2030. Mnangagwa, 83, took power in 2017 after ousting long-time ruler Robert Mugabe with the backing of the military, and went on to win disputed elections in 2018 and 2023. More than 200 lawmakers voted in favour of the draft legislation on Thursday, surpassing the vote threshold required for a two-thirds majority to amend the constitution. The bill also scraps direct presidential elections, with future presidents chosen by parliament. Speaker of Parliament Jacob Mudenda announced that 216 lawmakers had backed the legislation, surpassing the 187 votes required to amend the constitution. Forty-two lawmakers voted against it. The bill now heads to the senate, where it is also expected to secure approval, before being enacted by the president. This is the culmination of a campaign by the ruling Zanu-PF party – in power since independence in 1980 – to amend the constitution and extend presidential terms, a plan that received cabinet backing in February. The president had previously described himself as a constitutionalist and pledged to respect term limits. Opposition parties, civil society groups and constitutional lawyers have argued that such fundamental changes should be put to a national referendum rather than being approved solely through parliament. On Wednesday, the country's Constitutional Court dismissed a legal challenge seeking to block the bill. A new constitution adopted in 2013 restricted a president to serving a maximum of two terms, adding that any move to extend term limits would need to be endorsed by voters in a referendum and that a sitting president cannot benefit from any extension unless voters give their approval in a second referendum. The latest constitutional changes have intensified debate over Zimbabwe's political future, with opponents warning that the amendments could weaken democratic accountability, while supporters maintain they are necessary to ensure continuity and stability.
“Hungary's president signed a law barring Orbán from returning to power, while Zimbabwe's parliament voted to extend Mnangagwa's term.”