Hungarian prime minister backs lowering voting age to 16

Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar on Saturday voiced support for lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 as part of the country's ongoing constitutional reform process.

Magyar said he would support reducing the voting age during the drafting of a new constitution, arguing that most Hungarians under 18 are sufficiently informed and prepared to participate in democratic decision-making.

"I believe that today the vast majority of those under 18 are sufficiently prepared and informed to have a say in our common decisions," he wrote on the US social media company X.

The proposal comes as Magyar's government, which took office following the April 2026 general election, prepares a broad package of constitutional reforms.

In the same post, Magyar said his government had revived parliamentary traditions after what he described as 16 years of efforts by former Prime Minister Viktor Orban to weaken the role of parliament.

He also backed introducing term limits for members of parliament through the constitutional amendments, saying it would help improve the quality of parliamentary politics.

The voting age has become a topic of debate elsewhere in Europe. The UK government announced this week that it plans to lower the voting age to 16 before the country's next general election.