Hungarian chess legend Judit Polgár has declined Prime Minister Péter Magyar’s invitation to become the country’s next president, saying she did not feel strong enough to take responsibility for uniting a deeply divided nation.

Polgár announced her decision in a Facebook post on Monday evening, shortly after Magyar personally approached her about taking on the largely ceremonial but symbolically important position.

The grandmaster described the proposal as one of the greatest honours of her life and praised the prime minister for seeking an independent candidate despite the governing Tisza Party’s decisive parliamentary majority.

However, she ultimately concluded that she could not accept the position.

“I do not feel that I have enough strength to assume the historic responsibility of uniting a divided nation,” Polgár wrote, adding that she was therefore unable to accept the invitation.

Polgár promises to support an independent president

Although Polgár rejected the role, she said she remained committed to the goals associated with the nomination.

She pledged to support a new president who is independent, widely respected and capable of representing Hungarians across political divisions.

“I will do everything in my power to support a new, independent and recognised president in achieving these goals,” she wrote.

Magyar responded to the decision in a comment addressed directly to the chess champion.

The prime minister thanked Polgár for everything she had done for Hungary and said the country would continue to count on her contribution in other ways.

“Perhaps I can say on behalf of many millions of Hungarians that, even if in a different form, we will continue to count on you in the future,” Magyar wrote.

Reports of Polgár’s decision were published by several Hungarian news outlets on Monday evening.

Why Péter Magyar approached the chess grandmaster

The search for a new head of state began after President Tamás Sulyok signed Hungary’s 17th constitutional amendment on Saturday. The measure brought his presidential mandate to an early end on 20 July.

Sulyok had been elected by parliament in 2024, during the government of former prime minister Viktor Orbán. His removal formed part of a wider series of institutional changes introduced by Magyar’s Tisza government following its election victory in April 2026.

Parliamentary Speaker Ágnes Forsthoffer has taken over the presidential responsibilities on an interim basis while the government and parliament seek a permanent successor.

As we wrote today, two women temporarily take the country’s top constitutional posts

Magyar had promised broad public consultation on the identity of the next president. On Sunday, several well-known figures from Hungary’s cultural, scientific and sporting communities proposed Polgár as a candidate.

The prime minister subsequently announced that he would meet her and ask whether she was prepared to serve as president until the adoption of a new constitution. The parliamentary group of the governing Tisza Party also unanimously backed her potential nomination on Monday.

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There was no public support behind it

The day after the heads of government made their announcement, Europion conducted a nationally representative survey involving 1,800 respondents regarding the nomination of Judit Polgár as head of state. The results are presented in the charts attached below; our main findings are as follows:

  • Among the population aged 16 and older, 35% oppose and 26% support Judit Polgár’s nomination for head of state. Opponents are primarily those over 60 (47%), those without a high school diploma (38%), and Fidesz voters (58%), while support significantly exceeds the national average among college graduates (33%) and Tisza voters (38%).
  • It is clear that the decision even divides Tisza Party voters: 38% support it, but 24% oppose it.
  • A significant portion of the public is taking a wait-and-see approach: 17% gave a neutral (3) rating, while an additional 23% were unable or unwilling to take a position on the issue, or are unfamiliar with Judit Polgár.
  • A relative majority of Hungarians (38%) tended to agree with the criticism that Judit Polgár “has no politically relevant knowledge or experience, and this is, after all, a political position,” while only 20% identified with the narrative that “Judit Polgár is a widely recognized, successful figure who stands apart from party politics, and therefore will be able to embody national unity.” Among Tisza voters, the situation is reversed: in this group, 30% tend to identify with the supportive narrative.
  • Nearly as many (27%) expect Judit Polgár to be “an independent head of state who does not shy away from conflict” as those (31%) who expect her to be “a more accommodating, conflict-avoiding head of state.”

Prime Minister Péter Magyar announced that he will ask Judit Polgár to serve as head of state until the new Constitution takes effect. Do you support this decision? (Population aged 16 and older, %):

A globally recognised Hungarian figure

Judit Polgár is widely regarded as the strongest female chess player in history. She became a grandmaster at the age of 15 and was the only woman to break into the top ten of the overall world rankings.

Unlike many leading female players, Polgár primarily competed in open tournaments rather than women-only competitions. During her career, she defeated several world champions and reached a peak world ranking of eighth.

Her international reputation, political independence and achievements outside party politics had made her an attractive potential candidate for a presidency expected to represent national unity.

Her refusal means the Hungarian government must now continue its search for a new head of state. The identity of the next candidate, as well as the timetable for the parliamentary election, has not yet been announced.

If you missed it: Judit Polgár nomination sparks political attacks

UPDATE – PM Magyar reacts

PM Péter Magyar regrets Judit Polgár’s decision but accepts it ‘with respect’