Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).
Listen to the audio version of this article (generated by AI).
According to a government announcement, the legislation reverses terminology introduced by the previous government in 2022, when counties were renamed vármegyék (castle counties) instead of megyék (counties), and the heads of Budapest and county government offices were given the historical title főispán (lord lieutenant) in place of kormánymegbízott, or government commissioner.
The government proposed restoring the earlier terminology as part of the 17th amendment to Hungary’s Fundamental Law, arguing that the historical expressions represented a symbolic obstacle to modern public administration and local government.
“The job of modern public administration is to serve every Hungarian fairly, to a high standard and equally. That is what will give it authority, not historical trappings,” Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in July when explaining the proposed changes.
The legislation approved on Tuesday updates references to the two terms throughout the affected laws. The changes will not alter the organizational structure, responsibilities or powers of territorial public administration.
According to the government, the revisions are intended to establish consistent, accessible and modern terminology in administration and regulation.
An impact assessment published during the public consultation put the budgetary cost of the renaming at HUF 577 mln.
The restored terminology will take effect in most legislation on Oct. 1, 2026. The exception is Act LIX of 2025 on the registration of legal entities, where the change from vármegye to megye will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027.
As part of the same legislation, Parliament also approved a reduction in the prime minister’s salary, replacing the previous arrangement linking it to the parliamentary speaker’s pay.
Under the new formula, a prime minister who also serves as a member of Parliament will receive a monthly gross salary equivalent to 1.91 times an MP’s fee, in addition to that parliamentary remuneration. A prime minister without a parliamentary mandate will receive 2.91 times an MP’s fee.
The decision reduces the prime minister’s total monthly gross remuneration, including the parliamentary fee, from HUF 5,120,117 to HUF 3,810,624.
The government described the measure as part of its effort to reduce the cost of running the state. During the summer, it also cut remuneration and benefits for MPs, salaries for county assembly presidents, and pay for government members and senior state officials.
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
