Two-thirds of Poles back term limits for prime ministers and MPs in survey

Strong public backing for political term limits

A survey by SW Research for Rzeczpospolita indicates that 67.6% of Polish respondents support introducing strict term limits for members of parliament and prime ministers. The tested initiative proposes capping parliamentary service at three terms (a maximum of 12 years) and restricting prime ministers to two full terms (a total of eight years). Opponents of the proposal represent 12.4% of surveyed adults, while 20.0% hold no opinion on the matter. The measure reflects widespread public interest in curbing extended political tenures across state institutions. Support cuts across broad segments of Polish society, with notable demographic splits in terms of age, location, and gender.

Demographic breakdown across age, education, and cities

Public backing for term limits shows distinct trends across demographic and income categories. Men express greater support for the policy at 70%, whereas 65% of surveyed women endorse the change. Across age groups, approval rises from 50% among the youngest cohort to 72% among the oldest respondents. Support is also elevated among individuals with higher education, where 71% favor the restriction. Furthermore, 73% of respondents earning a net monthly income between 3,001 PLN and 5,000 PLN back the rule. Urban residents show the highest enthusiasm, reaching 76% support in cities with 200,000 to 499,000 inhabitants. SW Research senior project manager Małgorzata Bodzon outlined the distribution of support in comments on the data.

Limiting the number of terms is considered right more often by men (70 percent) than women (65 percent).

The Hungarian constitutional model behind the survey

The survey question directly references constitutional amendments enacted by Hungary's parliament in mid-June. Those amendments followed the April parliamentary election victory of the Tisza party, which secured a constitutional majority under Prime Minister Péter Magyar. The Hungarian reform limits prime ministers to eight years and lawmakers to three terms (12 years), applying retroactively to 1990. This rule effectively bars Viktor Orbán, who governed for 20 years across two stints (1998–2002 and 2010–2026), from returning to power. The legislation also shortens the term of President Tamás Sulyok and disqualifies numerous long-serving Fidesz parliamentarians from contesting future elections. An analysis by the Centre for Eastern Studies noted that the revision aims to dismantle institutional and personal safeguards established by Fidesz.

Potential consequences for veteran Polish politicians

Implementing the Hungarian model in Poland would reshape parliamentary rosters and government leadership after the next elections. Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who governed from 2007 to 2014 and returned in 2023, has logged around 9 years and 7 months in office, which exceeds the eight-year cap. Former prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki, who held the post from 2017 to 2023, would be eligible for less than two years in the role. In the Sejm, the three-term ceiling would end the tenures of veteran figures including Jarosław Kaczyński with nine terms and Donald Tusk with six terms. The rule would also exclude Polish People's Party lawmaker Marek Sawicki, who has held a seat continuously since the second-term Sejm in 1993, along with three-term deputies Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz and Krzysztof Bosak.