Hungarian parliament rules out Orban return with eight-year limit for PMs

Hungary's parliament approved a constitutional amendment on Monday that allows prime ministers to ​serve for a maximum of eight years, ‌effectively barring former premier Viktor Orban from holding the role again, Reuters reported.

Prime Minister Peter Magyar ousted Orban ​in an election in April after 16 ​years, gaining a two-thirds majority in parliament ⁠that allows his party to roll back ​or change legislation passed by Orban's Fidesz, ​including the constitution.

The amendment says that those who had previously held the role of prime minister for at ​least eight years "cannot be elected prime minister." ​This applies to prime ministerial terms held after the ‌date ⁠of May 2, 1990.

Prime ministers will have to leave office after a total of eight years, or two terms.

The constitutional amendment also ​paves the ​way for ⁠the dissolution of the Sovereignty Protection Office, set up by Orban's government, ​that stigmatised opposition figures and journalists ​for ⁠serving "foreign interests."

In addition, the amendment gives back the founders' rights of so-called public-interest asset-management foundations to ⁠the ​state. Orban's government transferred ​state assets worth hundreds of billions of forints to these ​foundations.