Hungary's MPs block return of Orbán, limiting rule of PM to eight years

The Hungarian parliament has backed a change to the constitution that limits a prime minister's term in office to eight years, fulfilling a promise by Péter Magyar to prevent Viktor Orbán becoming prime minister again.

Orbán led Hungary uninterrupted for16 years, until Magyar's Tisza party swept him from power in April's election, winning a two-thirds majority that gives it the power to amend the constitution.

Under the change, no prime minister since 1990 can serve more than two terms in office, even if they are years apart.

Orbán's depleted Fidesz party voted against the measure and the former prime minister, who was re-elected as its leader at the weekend, was highly critical of it.

"The Orban law has just been voted through. That was the most pressing issue. If I'm needed, I'll be here," he wrote on Facebook.

Orbán complained that Tisza had only been in power a month and that it should not be "dreaming of eight years" into the future.

The Tisza government's so-called super-majority meant the amendment sailed through by 135 votes to 50 and the law now just needs the signature of President Tamás Sulyok to go through.

Orbán's former political director, Balázs Orbán, accused Magyar of "using political power to exclude a political opponent from democratic competition".