Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar has officially announced that he will propose world-renowned grandmaster Judit Polgár as the country's next president.
The news was announced personally by the prime minister on his official Facebook profile and quickly became a major topic for leading world media.
The political move comes immediately after the current head of state Tamás Sujok signed the 17th amendment to the constitution, proposed by the ruling party “Tisa“. The change ended his term early. The parliament, in which Magyar's party has an overwhelming majority, will have to elect a new interim president who will remain in office until a completely new constitution is adopted.
“Our fatherland needs unity, peace and a president that every Hungarian can be proud of“, wrote Péter Magyar. He stressed that Polgár's recognition was not due to political connections, but to her exceptional talent, integrity and hard work. The prime minister is expected to hold an official meeting with the chess player to discuss whether she is ready to take on the highest civil service.
Judit Polgár is recognized as the best woman in the history of chess, having competed successfully against men in the absolute world elite for many years. At the time of the nomination, the legendary athlete has not yet given her official answer as to whether she accepts the invitation to lead Hungary.
Sources: news.bg, reuters.com, bloomberg.com