In a twist so shocking it could make a stockbroker weep into his espresso, the Hungarian parliament has actually done something vaguely democratic. MPs, apparently tired of living in a one-party theme park where the only ride is ‘Viktor’s Eternal Reign’, have passed a resolution backing British-style term limits. Cue the angels singing, the champagne corks popping, and a very flustered Orbán choking on his paprika.
Let’s be clear: this is Hungary, the nation where democracy goes to die a slow, bureaucratic death. For years, Orbán has treated the constitution like a Play-Doh sculpture, remoulding it to keep himself in power until his beard turns grey and his grandchildren start asking awkward questions. But now, his own party members have rebelled. It’s like watching a flock of sheep suddenly discover they have teeth.
The resolution, which is non-binding but symbolically potent, calls for a two-term limit for prime ministers. Because nothing says ‘we believe in democracy’ like copying a system from a country that once gave us Brexit and the ‘humble’ British bulldog. Still, one must hand it to the Magyars: they’ve finally realised that ‘democratic’ doesn’t mean ‘one man, one vote, one leader for life’.
Orbán, naturally, is furious. He’s been compared to a wounded hippo, thrashing about in the muddy waters of his own propaganda. His response? A series of interviews where he insists that term limits are ‘un-Hungarian’ and that the people want him, because the people are, apparently, too busy eating lángos to think. He’s even hinted at a referendum, as if a man who has rigged the entire system would be shy about fixing a vote.
But here’s the rub: this is not a revolution. It’s a small, brave fart in a hurricane of authoritarianism. The resolution has no teeth, no enforcement, and no mechanism to stop Orbán from simply ignoring it. Yet, it’s a signal. A signal that even the most dedicated sycophants are starting to realise that riding the tiger of autocracy tends to end with you inside the tiger.
What does this mean for European democracy? Not much, on the surface. The EU has already spent years wringing its hands over Hungary’s slide into illiberalism, passing resolutions that read like strongly worded letters to a wayward teenager. But this domestic crack could be the beginning of the end. If Orbán’s own party starts to splinter, even a master manipulator cannot hold the pieces together forever.
Meanwhile, in Britain, where term limits are as normal as rain and complaining about the weather, the government has issued a statement praising the move. ‘We welcome Hungary’s commitment to democratic norms,’ said a spokesman, trying very hard not to smirk. It’s a rare moment of British superiority: our political chaos is at least time-limited.
So, what next? Will Orbán gracefully step down after his current term? Will he suddenly develop a love for constitutional constraints? Or will he double down, tightening his grip until the whole edifice crumbles? History suggests the latter. But for now, raise a glass of cheap gin to the MPs of Hungary. They’ve remembered that politics is not a monarchy, even if it feels like one most of the time.
