Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Sunday that he will meet chess grandmaster Judit Polgár on Monday to ask whether she would be willing to serve as Hungary’s president until the country’s new constitution is adopted.
The announcement came after 16 prominent figures from Hungary’s scientific, cultural and sporting communities publicly proposed Polgár as the country’s next head of state.
In a Sunday post on Facebook, the prime minister said Hungary needs ‘unity, peace and a president every Hungarian can be proud of.’
He described the presidency as ‘the highest form of public service’, saying the office is not a profession or a job, but a responsibility to serve and represent all Hungarians.
‘Judit Polgár, who was recommended today by respected members of Hungarian public life, is such a person. Tomorrow I will meet her and ask whether she is prepared to serve our country in a new role until the adoption of the new Constitution,’ Magyar wrote.
The prime minister highlighted Polgár’s achievements, noting that she is widely regarded as the most successful female chess player in history. She topped the women’s world rankings continuously for 26 years while also breaking into the world’s top ten overall rankings.
Magyar also pointed to her five Chess Olympiad titles, her status as an international grandmaster and her receipt of the Order of Saint Stephen, Hungary’s highest state honour. He added that her career was recently the subject of the documentary The Queen of Chess and noted that she was elected a member of Christ’s College at the University of Cambridge several weeks ago.
‘The respect and recognition she enjoys stem from her exceptional talent, hard work, extraordinary perseverance and integrity’
According to the prime minister, Polgár’s career has always been defined by achievement rather than political affiliation or personal connections.
‘The respect and recognition she enjoys stem from her exceptional talent, hard work, extraordinary perseverance and integrity,’ he wrote, describing her as ‘a Hungarian whose achievements command respect and admiration both at home and around the world.’
Magyar concluded by saying it would be ‘a great honour’ if Polgár accepted the invitation to serve as president.
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