Patriots for Europe Group Reject Tailor-Made legislation and the Restrictions of Political Competition

Strasbourg, 21/05/2026 - The Patriots for Europe Group strongly condemns and considers unacceptable the Hungarian government's proposed constitutional amendment, which would retroactively limit the office of the Prime Minister to two terms, with effect dating back to 1990. The initiative of the Tisza Party, a member of the European People's Party, constitutes a serious violation of the principles of the rule of law and democratic competition.

This form of tailor-made legislation — already referred to by the public as "Lex Orbán" — would set an unacceptable precedent in Europe. In a democratic system, laws must not be drafted with the purpose of eliminating a specific political actor from public life, especially not with retroactive effect.

The proposal put forward by the EPP-affiliated Tisza Party fits into a broader European political trend aimed at excluding patriotic and sovereignist forces from democratic competition. Across Europe, mainstream parties are increasingly attempting to use administrative and legal instruments against national-conservative political movements and politicians.

Our Group considers these efforts outrageous and firmly rejects all attempts to restrict the free choice of voters and to use legislation as a political weapon. The essence of democracy is free political competition — not the institutional exclusion and silencing of political opponents.

We expect the European People's Party and those political forces that have previously voiced strong concerns about the rule of law in Hungary to clearly distance themselves from the Tisza Party's retroactive legislative proposal, which clearly violates the principles of the rule of law and democracy.