Hungary Minister Denies Cabinet Shakeup, Election Rule Tweak

(Bloomberg) -- Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban doesn’t plan to change the makeup of his government beyond the appointment of a new central bank governor in the coming months, said Cabinet Minister Gergely Gulyas.

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Gulyas’s statement at a briefing on Thursday pushed back against widespread media speculation that the five-term premier is seeking to reinvigorate his government before the 2026 elections, which is shaping up to be the closest ballot since his return to power in 2010.

Orban has indicated that he plans to tap Finance Minister Mihaly Varga or Economy Minister Marton Nagy as the next central bank chief from March 1, with the other getting a ministry with an expanded remit to run economic policy. Apart from that, said Gulyas, there’s no plan for a broader government shakeup.

The minister also denied plans to change the election rules by creating new electoral districts in neighboring states where Hungarian minorities reside.

Orban, who has been in power for more than a decade, was tipped to tweak election rules to prepare for next year’s race.

(Update from fourth paragraph about denial of election rule changes)

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