The Hungarian Term Limit Model Sparks Debate on Political Longevity in Poland

Following Hungary’s constitutional amendments capping prime ministerial and parliamentary terms, a new SW Research poll reveals that over two thirds of Polish citizens support adopting similar restrictions domestically.

Constitutional Changes in Hungary

In mid-June, the Hungarian parliament adopted a constitutional amendment introducing an eight-year, two-term limit for the prime minister. This change was a key promise made by Peter Magyar and his Tisza party ahead of the April parliamentary elections, designed to prevent Viktor Orban’s potential return to power by accounting for terms dating back to 1990.

In July, Hungary introduced another constitutional change establishing a 12-year, three-term limit for members of parliament. Additionally, the Tisza party submitted proposals to the fundamental law to shorten the prime minister’s term and eliminate foundations used to transfer state assets, as reported by Michał Kokot on Wyborcza.pl.

Public Sentiment in Poland

The constitutional changes in Hungary sparked wide commentary in Poland. SW Research conducted a poll for “Rzeczpospolita” asking respondents if Poland should adopt the Hungarian model of limiting a prime minister to eight years and lawmakers to twelve years.

The poll results showed that 67.6 percent of respondents favored the introduction of term limits, while 12.4 percent opposed them and 20 percent remained undecided. Support was higher among men, older participants, individuals with higher education, those earning between 3,001 and 5,000 PLN net, and residents of cities with populations between 200,000 and 499,000.

Impact on Polish Politicians

Implementing such regulations in Poland would require prominent political figures such as Donald Tusk, Jarosław Kaczyński, Marek Sawicki, Mariusz Błaszczak, and Krzysztof Bosak to depart from parliament.