On Monday, before the agenda was taken up, the prime minister identified unconditional love for the country as an essential requirement for the next presidential candidate in the National Assembly.
Regarding the presidential election, Péter Magyar said,
“We’re starting with a clean slate; we’re not bound by previous pacts or customs.”
He added that people should not expect them to choose a president from the old opposition or among Tisza voters. “They will make the right decision if they elect a president who will finally be the president of the entire country,” he pointed out, asking political parties and civil society organizations to explain who they consider worthy of representing the republic and on the basis of what values.
He noted that it is only natural that there will be no presidential candidate who satisfies everyone.
Péter Magyar stated that the new head of state does not need to be a politician in the conventional sense, nor does he or she need to be a lawyer.
For many years, Hungary was led by professional, highly experienced politicians and outstanding lawyers who knew the rules of power and the intricacies of the laws and the constitution inside and out, and yet they put the state and the law at the service of their own interests, he emphasized.
The President of the Republic must be someone who safeguards the unity of the nation and the rule of law; he or she may be a biologist, historian, doctor, artist, or lawyer, provided that his or her integrity and life’s journey lead us to believe that he or she can carry out this work with strength, integrity, perseverance, and love for the country—he stated, adding that the essential requirement is unconditional love for the homeland.
Regarding the presidential election, Péter Magyar said,
“We’re starting with a clean slate; we’re not bound by past pacts or customs.”
He added that people should not expect them to choose a president from the old opposition or from among Tisza’s voters. “They will make the right decision if they elect a president who will finally be the president of the entire country,” he pointed out, asking political parties and civil society organizations to explain who they consider worthy of representing the republic and on the basis of what values.
He noted that it is only natural that there will be no presidential candidate who satisfies everyone.
Péter Magyar stated that the new head of state does not need to be a politician in the conventional sense—in fact, he does not even need to be a lawyer. He cited Árpád Göncz as an example, noting that, in his view, it is not Göncz’s law degree, earned in 1944, but rather his genius as a literary translator and his humanity that have kept him in the hearts of many Hungarians to this day.
For many years, Hungary was led by professional, highly experienced politicians and outstanding lawyers who knew the rules of power and the intricacies of the laws and the constitution inside and out, and yet they put the state and the law at the service of their own interests, he emphasized.
The President of the Republic must be someone who safeguards national unity and constitutionality; he or she may be a biologist, historian, doctor, artist, or lawyer, provided that, based on his or her integrity and life’s journey, one can believe that he or she is capable of carrying out this work with strength, integrity, perseverance, and patriotism, he stated. He identified an additional requirement: the new head of state must be familiar with the country’s joys, wounds, and strengths; must view the country as a living community; must understand the weight of the spoken word; must be able to weigh matters calmly; must listen to differing opinions; and must recognize that every decision has consequences.
“It doesn’t matter whether they are a woman or a man, what their educational background is, what kind of family they come from, whether they are from the countryside or Budapest, or what profession they have pursued—the essential thing is that they love the country unconditionally,” he stated.
What we know so far:
- PM Magyar to ask chess legend Judit Polgár to become Hungary’s President
- Judit Polgár nomination sparks political attacks
Péter Magyar explained that they are asking the next President of the Republic to undertake “this difficult but noble task” during a transitional period, throughout the constitutional process, which will be nothing other than representing the entire nation.
In his assessment, Hungary has had seven presidents over the past 36 years, all of whom were elected as a result of political agreements, pacts, and party-political decisions. This had an impact on their acceptance, he noted.
“We have been given the opportunity, for the first time since 1990, to elect a candidate who stands above party lines,” he emphasized.
He asked both ruling-party and opposition representatives to regard the office of the President of the Republic, the independence of public institutions, the safety of children, the protection of public assets, the future of education, and Hungary’s international security as matters in which party-political interests must be subordinated to Hungarian interests.
In his pre-agenda speech titled “The True Hungarian Interest”, the Prime Minister outlined six conditions for the Hungarian interest: a functioning, independent, and just state; a strong and sustainable economy; knowledge; a safe and dignified life; national security; and national unity.
He recalled the Reform Era, 1956, and the period of the transition to democracy, noting that the greatest achievements in Hungarian history consistently emerged when Hungarians found common ground. He emphasized that the great figures of Hungarian history debated fiercely with one another, yet they always knew that the purpose of the debate was to move the country forward, and that there are boundaries that must not be crossed—not even for the sake of short-term political gain.
In his view, we are once again at such a historic moment today, because a long, inglorious era has come to an end, and the voters’ mandate was not simply for a change of government, but for a change of system.
The prime minister described the legacy left by the Orbán government to the new cabinet as grave, citing, among other things, the “historic” budget deficit, weakened public services, indebted institutions, and citizens who have lost trust in the government.
Péter Magyar identified a functioning, independent, and fair state as the first prerequisite for Hungarian interests, emphasizing the need for a public prosecutor’s office, courts, a constitutional court, a state audit office, regulatory agencies, and the office of the President of the Republic that protect the law, public assets, and citizens’ rights. He noted that this is precisely why they amended the Fundamental Law and are rebuilding the independence of public institutions. He accused the Orbán government of using the law to cement privileges, siphon off assets, and undermine its political opponents, while promising that: as long as Tisza leads the country, the role of the law will be to protect the community, limit the power of those in authority, guarantee fundamental rights, and ensure accountability.
He identified a strong, fair, and sustainable economy as the second condition for the Hungarian interest. He emphasized that Hungary welcomes any investor that creates jobs, brings knowledge, strengthens Hungarian suppliers, values workers, and respects our land, water, air, and the rights of local communities.
He stated that an investment serves Hungarian interests only if workers earn a fair wage, the community develops, Hungarian entrepreneurs secure contracts, and nature—Hungary’s water, air, and land—does not pay the price for profit.
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Péter Magyar promised to establish uniform, transparent, and predictable rules for all companies, noting that this is also the focus of the government’s tax proposals submitted last week. He promised that the government will bring order to corporate tax payments by large global companies, broaden the tax base, and narrow certain tax breaks.
The cabinet will put an end to tax avoidance practices by trust managers, double the air pollution fees paid by polluting companies, and is preparing to introduce environmental regulations and tax changes that will compel major water users and polluting companies to comply with environmental and health standards, he explained. In addition, he continued, several minor tax categories will be abolished, and the Orbán government’s practice of selectively imposing punitive taxes on certain companies will also be eliminated. Every major investment requires public data, genuine impact studies, strong regulatory authorities, and meaningful participation by local communities
— he emphasized, adding that the Orbán government had failed to do so.
He stated that the government will investigate every decision, negotiation, and official commitment made by Péter Szijjártó, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, that was related to BYD Hungary’s investment. He pointed out that two months after leaving his ministerial post, Péter Szijjártó found a job at the very company whose investments in Hungary he had supported as minister with “hundreds of billions in public funds, diplomatic support, and state infrastructure.”
He added that they will investigate the history of all subsidies, tax breaks, expedited permits, environmental exemptions, and publicly funded investments granted to these giant corporations. They will investigate who made these decisions, who prepared them, what expert warnings were ignored, and what burden was placed on taxpayers, workers, local communities, and the environment, he emphasized.
The Prime Minister identified knowledge as the third pillar of Hungarian interests, stressing that no Hungarian child’s future should depend on their parents’ place of residence or financial means, and that no teacher’s work should go unrecognized.
He noted that the purpose of the back-to-school subsidy is to ensure that children start the school year in September on an equal footing, but in his view, education requires much more than that—“damage control and healing”. He emphasized that there can be no dispute between the opposition and the ruling parties that the future of children is the most important common cause.
Regarding the fourth condition of the Hungarian interest—a daily life worthy of human dignity—he said that restoring the welfare systems destroyed by the Orbán government will be a massive undertaking and will not happen overnight. But the Hungarian interest is clear: they must work to improve healthcare, make child protection safer, ensure decent care for the elderly, provide affordable housing, deliver predictable public services, and strengthen local self-government, he declared.
He identified national security and a predictable international situation as the fifth condition of the Hungarian interest. He explained that Hungary’s strength lies in its own defense capabilities, its European and Atlantic alliances, its prudent diplomacy, and the fact that it makes its decisions based on Hungarian considerations, in cooperation with its allies, while respecting peace and international law. He also included the security, rights, and well-being of Hungarian communities beyond the borders in their homeland.
The prime minister identified national unity as the sixth condition for Hungarian interests, the essence of which is mutual respect, a shared constitutional framework, and recognition of the dignity of fellow Hungarians—acknowledging that even their political opponents and voters of other parties are citizens of the country.
Concluding his remarks with a reference to the presidential election, Péter Magyar stated that we finally have the opportunity to start with a clean slate and not nominate a politician or candidate from one party or another for the presidency. He emphasized that in the coming days he will work to ensure that this opportunity becomes a reality.
To achieve this, he said, all those who shape public discourse must jointly “find and step over their own shadows,” rising above our perceived or real daily interests and grievances. He put it this way: the goal is “to make a wise and fair decision.”
More Hungary news:
Tisza parliamentary group: Judit Polgár is the most suitable candidate for president
The Tisza parliamentary group’s unanimous position is that Judit Polgár is the most suitable candidate for president, said the Tisza Party’s parliamentary group leader on Monday in the National Assembly, responding to the prime minister’s remarks before the agenda.
Andrea Bujdosó stated that a head of state must possess three qualities: dignity, integrity, and empathy.
She noted that
the Tisza parliamentary group had held lengthy discussions regarding the presidential election and had unanimously reached the conclusion that Judit Polgár possesses all these qualities; she is a patriotic, honest, empathetic, courageous person who excels in her profession and is deeply committed to her work, and who is capable of embodying the unity of the nation.
The parliamentary group will make the final decision at its next meeting, added Andrea Bujdosó.
