Hungarians vote in landmark election closely watched by EU, Russia, US
Written by: Justyna Pawlak and Gergely Szakacs
BUDAPEST, April 12 (Reuters) – Hungarians will vote on Sunday in elections https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/hungarys-election-could-end-orban-era-reshape-its-place-europe-2026-04-09/ that could end Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s 16-year tenure. Retain power, shake up Russia and send shockwaves through right-wing circles in the West, including US President Donald Trump’s White House.
Orban nL8N3ZL0R8, a Eurosceptic nationalist, has created a model of “illiberal democracy” that is seen as a blueprint by Trump’s Make America Great Again (MAGA) movement and its admirers in Europe.
But after three years of economic stagnation and rising living costs, as well as reports that oligarchs close to the government are amassing more wealth, many Hungarians are increasingly weary of Orban, 62.
Opinion polls over the last two weeks show that Orban’s Fidesz party is 7-9 percentage points behind Peter Magyar nL8N3Z00J1’s fledgling center-right opposition party Tisza, with Tisza trailing at around 38-41%.
Voting in the 199-seat parliamentary elections will begin at 6 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and end at 7 p.m.
The vote is being closely watched in Brussels https://www.reuters.com/world/eu-hopes-hungarian-election-will-bring-end-orbans-blockades-2026-03-27/ with many EU members criticizing Orban, a friend of Russian President Vladimir Putin and a close ally of Trump, saying he has eroded Hungary’s democratic governance, media freedom and minority rights.
For Hungary’s eastern neighbor Ukraine, Orban’s defeat could mean the unblocking of a 90 billion euro ($105 billion) European Union loan vital to Kiev’s war effort. This would also deprive Russia of its closest ally in the EU.
Orban evaluated the election as a choice between “war and peace”. During the campaign, the government blanketed the country with signs warning that Tisza leader Magyar would drag Hungary into Russia’s war with Ukraine, something it vehemently denies.
“I look forward to Sunday’s elections with the greatest hope,” Orban told supporters in his hometown of Szekesfehervar.
“If we know ourselves well, if we know our country well and if we know our own people well, then I must say that Hungarians will vote for security on Sunday.”
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Orban has the public support of the Trump administration, the Kremlin and far-right leaders in Europe, culminating in Vice President J.D. Vance’s visit to Budapest last week.
But his campaign was hit by media reports alleging his government colluded with Moscow. Orban, who denies any wrongdoing, says his goal is to preserve Hungary’s national identity and traditional Christian values within the EU and its security in a dangerous world.
Meanwhile, Magyar, a 45-year-old former Orban loyalist, has exploited his discontent with allegations of corruption and falling living standards in the state, especially among young voters eager for change.
“I’m very excited, but I’m also very scared,” said Kriszta Tokes, 24, who sells postcards and trinkets in Budapest. “I know that my future depends on this,” she said, adding that she plans to leave Hungary if Orban wins.
While Orban’s party has done good things “on paper”, Tokes said he believes young people are struggling more than the government realizes, citing the massive financial aid it has provided to shore up support.
To appeal to a popularity rating of just 8% among under-30s, Orban abolished income tax for the youngest workers and launched a subsidized mortgage scheme to help first-time homebuyers get on the housing ladder, at a time when house prices are rising the fastest in the EU under his administration.
However, Magyar’s change proposal seems to have resonated more.
Magyar, who made the final move in the eastern town of Miskolc on Friday, said: “This will be a referendum on the place and future of our country.”
Analysts warn that the outcome of the vote remains uncertain due to the number of undecided voters, the redrawing of the electoral map in favor of Fidesz and the high proportion of ethnic Hungarians in neighboring countries who mostly support the ruling party.
They say anything is possible, from a Tisza majority to a Fidesz majority that could change the constitution.
If Tisza wins, unwinding the legal and institutional changes made by Orban could be a daunting task for the new government, which has a simple majority in parliament.
($1 = 0.8533 euro)
(Additional reporting by Krisztina Than, Anita Komuves, Lili Bayer, Thomas Holdstock, Judith Langowski, writing by Justyna Pawlak, editing by Alexander Smith and Gareth Jones)
