Hungary holds key parliamentary elections

2026-04-12 12:23:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Hungarians are voting today in parliamentary elections, in which the main race is between the current Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, who has been in power for 16 years, and the opposition leader, Peter Magyar.

Voting centers opened at 06:00 and will close at 19:00.

The Hungarian election is being closely watched by Kiev and Moscow, as well as the European Union, as US President Donald Trump has offered support to Orban, who has maintained close ties with Russia even after Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. Polls have suggested that Magyar's conservative pro-European party - which has promised "system change" - is clearly leading Orban's Fidesz party.

Both camps have made accusations of foreign interference during the campaign in Hungary, which has a population of 9.5 million.

Analysts expect a record turnout of 75 percent.

Only five parties are participating in the race – the fewest parties participating in the election since Hungary's democratization in 1990 – after several parties withdrew from the race to increase the Tisza party's chances of victory.

Preliminary results are expected to be released shortly after polls close, but if the race is close, the winner may not be announced until all votes are counted by next Saturday, according to the National Electoral Office.

Orban, 62, is seeking a sixth consecutive term.

As an EU member, he has managed to block or soften many EU decisions on sanctions against Russia, after Moscow launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. He has also blocked several decisions on EU support for Ukraine.

Magyar, 45, entered the political scene two years ago, gaining support amid economic stagnation.

Tisza party leader Peter Magyar has called on Hungarians to "take back their homeland" to confirm Hungary's place in the EU and has promised to fight corruption and provide better services to citizens.

Orban has warned at election rallies "not to put everything at risk," calling for "protecting what we have achieved."

The Hungarian prime minister has made Ukraine a key theme of his campaign, portraying this neighboring country, which is fighting against an invasion launched by Russia, as a "hostile" state towards Hungary.

He has also vowed to continue the crackdown on "fake civil society organizations, bought journalists, judges and politicians."

According to the organization Amnesty International, Hungary, along with Bulgaria, are the most corrupt countries in the EU./ Rel