Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar intends to nominate the renowned chess grandmaster Judit Polgár for the position of President of the country. He announced his intention on Sunday via Facebook, stating that he will meet with her in person on Monday, July 20th, and ask her to accept the nomination.
Magyar described Polgár as a figure whose name has been synonymous with talent and perseverance for decades. According to him, Hungary needs "unity, peace, and a president that every Hungarian can be proud of." He characterized the presidential role, which is largely ceremonial in the Hungarian political system, as the highest form of service to the public.
The proposal comes after the early termination of the term of incumbent President Tamás Sulyok. On Saturday, he signed a constitutional amendment pushed through by the ruling party Tisza, which ends his tenure as head of state. Sulyok, elected in 2024 with the votes of the then-ruling Fidesz led by Viktor Orbán, criticized the reform as an infringement on democracy and the rule of law, but stated that he was obligated to sign it.
Sulyok's term is scheduled to end at midnight on Tuesday, and he will be temporarily replaced by the Speaker of Parliament Ágnes Forsthoffer. The legislators have 30 days to elect a new head of state. Magyar's party, Tisza, holds a two-thirds majority in parliament following the April parliamentary elections; therefore, Polgár's potential candidacy would likely have a high chance of being approved.
Judit Polgár was born in Budapest in 1976 and is widely considered to be the greatest female chess player in history. She entered the top 100 players in the world at the age of twelve. At fifteen, she earned the title of grandmaster and broke Bobby Fischer's then-age record. At the peak of her career, she achieved a rating of 2735 and reached number eight in the world rankings in 2005.
Polgár led the women's world chess rankings for an uninterrupted period of 26 years, is a five-time winner of the Chess Olympiad, and has defeated eleven reigning or former world champions during her career. Her life story was also recently highlighted in the documentary Queen of Chess, which premiered on Netflix.
She ended her professional career in 2014, but continues to be involved in promoting chess, educating children, and working with her own foundation. She has no direct political experience. However, her detachment from partisan disputes may be the main reason for Magyar's choice.
Since the electoral defeat of long-time Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, Magyar has been trying to restructure key institutions and limit the influence of his former power system. The nomination of an internationally recognized chess legend is intended to offer the public a respected figure who could serve as a symbol of a new era.
It is not yet clear whether Judit Polgár will accept the offer. The decisive factor may be Monday's meeting with the Prime Minister.