Bloomberg reported the information.Viktor Orban, Hungary's prime minister for nearly two decades, is exploring a dramatic power play that could allow him to maintain control regardless of April's election outcome, according to sources familiar with the discussions.With opposition leader Peter Magyar's Tisza Party holding a lead in recent polls, Orban is weighing whether to transform Hungary's largely ceremonial presidency into the nation's most powerful office — and install himself in it."The question is in the here and now, with our history and knowledge and the challenges that face us, what's best for Hungarians?" Orban told Hungarian television network ATV last month, after meeting with President Donald Trump at the White House.The 62-year-old leader has acknowledged that switching to a presidential system was "always on the table" following his meetings with Trump, whom he has praised for wielding executive authority. Orban noted that in the U.S., Trump "says 'this is what I want and you figure it out.'"Hungary's parliament took a significant step Wednesday by approving legislation that makes it harder to remove a president from office, fueling speculation about Orban's intentions. The bill, pushed by his Fidesz party, allows the Constitutional Court to block efforts to oust a president for inability to perform duties.If Fidesz secures victory in April, Orban could transition to the presidency while delegating daily governmental operations to a trusted lieutenant like Construction and Transport Minister Janos Lazar. In a loss scenario, Orban as president could potentially obstruct Magyar's plans to repair Hungary's strained relationship with the European Union.The timing presents challenges. Orban would need to leverage Fidesz's current parliamentary supermajority before the election, and current President Tamas Sulyok, whose term runs until 2029, would need to step aside."It'd be the emergency plan to save the Orban system, an admission that it can't be done via the ballot box," said Daniel Hegedus, director for central Europe at the German Marshall Fund in Berlin. "It's risky, but it can't be ruled out."The potential maneuver follows a well-worn authoritarian playbook. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan shifted from prime minister to directly elected president in 2014, while Russia's Vladimir Putin moved between the two roles to circumvent term limits.A recent poll by Political Capital found that 63% of Hungarian respondents expect Fidesz to implement additional rule changes before April's vote. Orban has systematically reshaped Hungary's political landscape since returning to power in 2010, reducing the size of parliament, redrawing electoral districts, and installing loyalists in key institutions.The international climate may provide cover for such constitutional engineering. With Trump praising Orban as a "great leader" and the EU focused on broader security concerns, external pressure on Hungary has diminished. Brussels continues to withhold over $20 billion in funding due to rule-of-law concerns, but that has done little to constrain Orban's actions.Magyar, a 44-year-old former Fidesz insider through family connections, has promised to dismantle what he calls Orban's corrupt system. The Tisza Party leader is aware of various scenarios Orban might pursue to maintain influence, according to sources close to the party's leadership.Neither Orban's office nor Tisza responded to requests for comment on the potential presidential transition.