Strategic move by Hungary’s Magyar as he picks chess prodigy for president | Péter Magyar

Hungarian prime minister Péter Magyar has announced plans to ask Judit Polgár, widely regarded as the greatest female chess player of all time, to take on the largely ceremonial role of president.

Magyar said he would meet Polgár on Monday to discuss the issue. “Our country needs unity, peace and a president that all Hungarians can be proud of,” he wrote on social media. “Judit Polgár’s name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades.”

Magyar’s announcement comes after months of wrangling between the newly elected leader and president Tamás Sulyok, who was appointed when former leader Viktor Orbán was in power.

Since his landslide victory in April, Magyar has repeatedly called on Sulyok to resign, accusing him of being an Orbán “puppet” who has failed to defend the country as Orbán’s right-wing nationalist Fidesz party has been criticized for weakening democratic institutions and undermining the rule of law.

Last week, the Hungarian parliament, where Magyar’s Tisza party has a two-thirds majority, voted to support a constitutional amendment that would include an immediate end to Sulyok’s term. From there, Sulyok had five days to sign the amendment.

The maneuver was criticized by various human rights groups in Hungary, including Human Rights Watch. who warned He said the hasty constitutional amendments to oust the president were “reminiscent of something.” [the] Fidesz era” But Magyar insisted the changes were necessary as part of a broader effort to loosen Orbán’s grip on the country.

When news emerged that Sulyok had signed legislation that would end his term, Magyar proposed nominating Polgár in his place. The idea was first put forward in an open letter signed by 16 prominent Hungarians, including Ernő Rubik, inventor of the Rubik’s Cube.

Budapest-born Polgár, who turns 50 in a few days, had been the top-ranked female player for 25 years when she retired in 2014. At the age of 15, he became the youngest grandmaster in the world, breaking the record set by Bobby Fischer in 1958.

Her rise in the male-dominated chess world, which included victories over several male world champions, including Garry Kasparov in 2002, was captured in the 2026 Netflix documentary Queen of Chess.

Magyar said he would ask him to take on the new mandate until a new constitution is adopted. The appointment, which must be approved by Parliament but is expected to pass easily given Tisza’s majority, has a maximum term of five years.

Since coming to power on the promise of “regime change,” Magyar and his centre-right Tisza party have moved swiftly to dismantle strongholds of Orbán’s 16-year rule, from suspending news broadcasts by public media outlets with ties to the former prime minister. eliminate Sovereignty Protection Agency, which allows intelligence services to access information about individuals and organizations without judicial review.