Judit Polgár declines Hungarian presidential nomination

Judit Polgár has declined the invitation to become Hungary's president, one day after Prime Minister Péter Magyar said he would ask her to take the role.

Polgár said she was grateful to be asked but did not feel able to take on the historic responsibility of uniting a divided nation.

The proposal followed an open letter from 16 figures in Hungarian science, culture and sport. Members of the governing Tisza party had also backed her nomination.

Polgár reached No. 8 in the world rankings and remains the only woman to have crossed a 2700 classical rating.

Photo: MTI/Lakatos Péter, via Euronews.