The President of the Republic is the head of state of Hungary, embodying the unity of the nation and serving as the commander-in-chief of the Hungarian Defence Forces. Operating largely within a ceremonial mandate in a parliamentary democracy, the president represents the state externally, signs legislation, and holds the authority to return bills to the National Assembly or refer them to the Constitutional Court. While the office initially existed in 1919 and 1946, the contemporary presidency was established on October 23, 1989, during Hungary's democratic transition from communist rule.