“County” and “Government Commissioner” to return – terminological changes in Hungarian public administration

On 22 July 2026, the Hungarian Government submitted to Parliament a bill on amendments to certain acts in connection with the reintroduction of the term “county”, proposing to replace the terms “vármegye” (historic county) and “főispán” (lord lieutenant) with the previously used “county” and “government commissioner”, respectively. Under the proposal, the amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 October 2026.

Although the bill spans more than 200 pages and amends a significant number of legislative acts, it does not aim to restructure Hungary’s system of territorial public administration. Instead, its primary objective is to standardise the terminology used throughout the legal system. According to the explanatory memorandum, the proposal does not affect the organisational structure of territorial administration, the powers and responsibilities of public authorities, or the substantive and procedural rules governing administrative or local government matters.

Accordingly, the terms “vármegye” and “vármegyei” would once again be replaced by “county” and “county”, while the title “főispán” would revert to “government commissioner”. The bill would replace the term “vármegye” in 1,294 statutory provisions and “főispán” in 102 instances.

From a practical perspective, the amendment primarily affects the wording of legislation, administrative documents, official forms and public registers. The rights and obligations of individuals, as well as the powers and responsibilities of public authorities, remain unchanged, meaning that the amendment will not materially affect administrative procedures. Likewise, the use of the terms “vármegye” or “főispán” in previously issued documents, contracts or powers of attorney will not, in itself, affect their legal validity, as the amendment is purely terminological in nature.