Hungary’s PM Taps Chess Giant Judit Polgár For President As Outgoing Leader Denounces Constitutional Changes

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar says he will ask legendary chess grandmaster Judit Polgár to become Hungary’s next president.

The announcement came hours after outgoing President Tamás Sulyok signed into law the constitutional amendment ending his own mandate, while condemning it as a “shameful” abuse of political power.

Writing on social media, Magyar said Hungary needs “unity, peace, and a president every Hungarian can be proud of.”

“The presidency is not a job or a workplace, but the highest form of service. The task of the president is to serve and represent all Hungarians,” he wrote.

Magyar said he would meet Polgár on Monday to ask whether she is willing to serve as head of state until Hungary adopts a new constitution, adding that it would be “a great personal honor” if she accepted.

CHESS CHOICE

He described Polgár as someone who earned respect not through political connections but through “exceptional talent, dedication, resilience, and integrity.”

Widely regarded as the greatest female chess player in history, Polgár remained the world’s highest-ranked woman for 26 consecutive years, broke into the overall world top ten, won five Chess Olympiad gold medals, became an international grandmaster, received Hungary’s highest state honor—the Order of Saint Stephen—and was recently appointed a fellow of Christ’s College at the University of Cambridge.

Her remarkable life was also featured in the documentary The Queen of Chess.

Whether Polgár, who celebrates her 50th birthday this week, will accept the nomination was not immediately known.

Her expected nomination came hours after Sulyok signed the 17th Amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law, bringing his presidency to an end.

SULYOK’S WARNING

In an extraordinary farewell video, the 70-year-old Sulyok said he believed the amendment seriously violated constitutional principles but insisted he had no legal option other than to sign it because Parliament had adopted it in accordance with the law.

Sulyok explained that after Fidesz lawmakers curtailed the Constitutional Court’s powers in 2013, the court could no longer review the substance of constitutional amendments, only whether they had been adopted in accordance with the required parliamentary procedures.

Refusing to promulgate the law would itself have violated the Constitution, he said.

“The termination of my mandate will remain for posterity as a serious and shameful historical example of the abuse of political power,” Sulyok declared.

Calling the amendment unprecedented in Hungary’s post-communist democracy, he said: “The fundamental values of a free society, the rule of law, democracy, and the separation of powers were trampled in the interests of power.”

MIXED REACTION

He warned that “the democratic rule of law established during the democratic transition from the legacy of the 1956 revolution has ceased to exist.”

Hungarians interviewed by Worthy News in Budapest reacted with mixed feelings to the prospect of Polgár replacing Sulyok, an ally of ex-Prime Minister who had been criticized over his perceived authoritarian style.

Tarek, who said he has lived in Hungary for 15 years and is himself a chess player, welcomed the choice.

“Chess players think two or three moves ahead,” he said. “That kind of strategic thinking could benefit the presidency.”

He also supported Sulyok’s departure, saying Hungary’s new government should be able to work with a new head of state following the parliamentary election.

REFORMS DEBATED

Another resident, Zuza, a 50-year-old teacher, admitted she was initially surprised because Polgár has remained outside politics.

“She’s very clever, respected around the world, and has devoted herself to education,” Zuza said. “I think she could become a good president.”

She added that many Hungarians remain uncertain about how influential the presidency actually is under Hungary’s constitutional system, but believed Polgár’s experience and public standing could make her a unifying figure.

A third resident, who described himself as half Latino and declined to give his name, said he supported Prime Minister Magyar because he wanted political change but was not yet ready to judge the nomination.

“Character matters more than whether someone comes from politics or sport,” he said. “It’s too early to know whether this is the right choice.”

CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

The amendment requires Parliament to elect a new president within 30 days. Until then, Speaker of Parliament Ágnes Forsthoffer will serve as acting head of state.

Besides ending Sulyok’s mandate, the constitutional package introduces a mandatory retirement age of 70 for Constitutional Court judges, limits members of Parliament to a maximum of 12 years in office by barring anyone elected three times from immediately seeking another term, allows judges to initiate proceedings to remove the presidents of Hungary’s top courts, and establishes a National Asset Recovery and Protection Office.

The reforms have sparked protests in Budapest and criticism from opposition politicians, constitutional scholars, and human rights advocates, who say the package—weakens democratic checks and balances despite Magyar’s insistence that the measures are intended to renew Hungary’s constitutional order after the Orbán era.

The government maintains the reforms will encourage political renewal, strengthen accountability, and help pave the way for a new constitution. Critics, however, argue that they concentrate power in the hands of the governing majority and diminish the independence of key democratic institutions.

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