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Monday, 17 August 2026
Under a new act and decree, head teachers of schools run by school districts can make more decisions in their own school, for example on employment matters. The change strengthens schools' professional independence.
The act adopted by Parliament on 11 August gives schools and kindergartens more autonomy and restores teachers' collective rights. Heads of schools run by school districts exercise employer's rights themselves, and the school district may refuse consent only for breach of law or lack of funds. The teaching staff and the whole staff give an opinion on candidates' programmes for school head by secret ballot, and the result is public. The minimum service required during strikes was re-regulated: children must be supervised between 7 am and 3 pm, including meals. Trade union rights expand, and the maximum length of a fixed-term teacher appointment rises from three to five years. The act entered into force on the third day after publication.
Weight: 3/3 · substantive · Concrete decision to be implemented (affects many people).
Linked to the amendment of the public education act, the government decree increases the autonomy of schools run by school districts. The school district director will now be appointed after an open call for up to five years, with a higher education degree and at least two years of management experience required. Calls for teaching posts must also state the expected goals of the management programme. It moved the deadline of a transitional rule from the 2026/2027 to the 2028/2029 school year, and the decree's aims also include guaranteeing that PE lessons are held. The decree entered into force on the third day after publication.
Weight: 2/3 · substantive · Concrete decision to be implemented.
Exercising the President's powers, the Speaker of Parliament, at the initiative of the interior minister, appointed three national security colonels brigadier generals. The promotions of Milán Bádonyi, János Orth and József Szabó are valid from 20 August 2026.
Weight: 1/3 · Routine decision of the President (appointment, award or similar).
The president of the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH) amended several of the authority's decrees. He clarified gambling operators' obligation to warn about the dangers of gambling addiction and the anti-money-laundering rules for casinos and online gambling operators, and expanded the possibility of free bonuses. If a tobacco shop repeatedly sells to minors and is temporarily closed as a result, it cannot suspend operation during the closure. The decree changes mining supervision fees and procedures, simplifies licensing of geothermal energy and clarifies the registers of cybersecurity certifiers and ESG software. It introduces new fees for mining supervision procedures linked to the EU regulation on reducing methane emissions.
Weight: 1/3 · Technical amendment; the substance of the rules does not change.
Issue no. 114 of the Hungarian Gazette (Magyar Közlöny) for 2026 appeared on 17 August and contains 4 items. Parliament's amendment of the public education act gives school heads more autonomy and restores teachers' collective rights, with a related government decree. The SZTFH amended gambling, tobacco shop, mining and cybersecurity rules. Three national security colonels were appointed brigadier generals. Each item is described separately on this page.
Weight: 1/3 · Gazette issue: the items in it are rated separately.