Magyar plans nomination of chess legend Judit Polgár as Hungarian president

Polgár's exceptional chess career

Magyar justified his choice with the personal qualities of the 49-year-old Polgár. Her name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades, he wrote. Polgar could embody the unity of the nation. The name Judit Polgár has stood for decades for "talent and perseverance."

The proposal follows a profound political upheaval in Budapest. A constitutional amendment had ended the term of office of the previous head of state, Tamás Sulyok. The law passed by Magyar's governing party Tisza had been signed by Sulyok on Saturday; he was considered a political friend of the right-wing populist former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Political upheaval in Budapest

In the Hungarian system, the head of state is elected by Parliament. Magyar's party Tisza holds a two-thirds majority there and can therefore decide the election on its own. Parliament will now elect a new president, according to the Hungarian Parliament.

Until a successor is elected, Parliamentary President Ágnes Forsthoffer is to serve as acting head of state in an interim capacity. A deadline of 30 days applies to the succession. An extraordinary parliamentary session on Monday is to decide on the transitional arrangement.

The new head of state is to remain in office until a planned new constitution comes into force, for a maximum of five years. The future president would thus accompany the transition to a new constitutional order that Magyar has announced.

Significance of the presidency

Magyar had won a victory over Orbán in the April election, who was thus voted out as Prime Minister. The move is part of Magyar's efforts to dismantle the power structures of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was voted out in April. The nomination of Polgár for the presidency is supported by prominent public figures.

Polgár herself has not yet commented on the offer. It initially remained unclear whether she would accept the nomination. The talks between Magyar and Polgár were scheduled for Monday.

Observers see the personnel decision as a symbolic new beginning. With a globally known sports figure at the head of state, Magyar could underscore both the break with the Orbán era and the aspiration of a modern, cosmopolitan Hungarian politics.

The Hungarian presidency is considered largely ceremonial, but grants the officeholder considerable representative and moral authority at home and abroad. With the two-thirds majority of his party Tisza, Magyar can push through the election in parliament quickly in the coming weeks.

As of editorial deadline, it was unclear exactly when parliament would vote on the candidate. All that is certain is that the election must take place within the 30-day deadline.