Mádyar proposed changing the election rules in Hungary
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that he supports lowering the voting age from 18 to 16. He proposed this change as part of preparations for the country’s new constitutional reform. According to the politician, today’s teenagers are knowledgeable enough to participate in shaping the country’s future.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has stated that he advocates lowering the voting age in the country to 16. Currently, citizens who have reached the age of 18 have the right to vote in Hungary.
The head of government outlined his position on Facebook. He noted that teenagers aged 16–17 today have access to a wealth of information and are capable of forming their own opinions about the country’s future. “For my part, during the constitutional drafting process, I would support lowering the voting age to 16,” Magyar said.
The prime minister linked this initiative to a broader reform of the state system that his government launched following the parliamentary elections in April. Mágyar also stated that he sees the changes as an opportunity for the “revival of parliamentary democracy” in Hungary. According to him, the previous administration, led by Viktor Orbán, had, in his view, weakened the role of parliament.
The proposal to lower the voting age came amid preparations for sweeping changes to the country’s electoral system. Márton Melletei-Barna, deputy chair of the “Tisza” parliamentary group of the ruling party, previously reported that following the adoption of the new constitution, the government plans to draft a new election law. According to him, this process could take between 18 and 24 months.
If the initiative is approved, Hungary will join a small group of countries where 16- and 17-year-olds can vote, at least in certain elections. However, this is currently only a proposal. For the changes to take effect, they must be enshrined in the new constitution and the relevant electoral legislation, according to Daily News Hungary.
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