Hungary has announced the date when it will be decided whether Viktor Orban remains in power or not
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. Photo: Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto / Shutterstock Editorial / Profimedia
Nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban will face a strong opponent for the first time in 16 years in Hungary's parliamentary election on April 12, and the result could have profound implications for Europe and far-right political forces, Reuters reports.
Orban's bid to win re-election will be watched with interest far beyond Hungary's borders.
The nationalist leader considers US President Donald Trump an ally against Brussels and has maintained close ties with Moscow despite the war in Ukraine.
Parliamentary elections will be held on April 12, President Tamas Sulyok announced on his Facebook page on Tuesday.
Orban, 62, who came to power in 2010 in a landslide victory, has turned Hungary into a self-proclaimed “illiberal democracy”. He has often clashed with Brussels over restrictions on independent media, his anti-immigration stance and the erosion of the rights of the LGBTQ community.
In the election, he will face Peter Magyar, a former member of the government, whose center-right Tisza party has shaken the Hungarian political scene since its emergence in 2024.
Orban's Fidesz party is campaigning under the slogan “Safe Choice”, saying it will keep Hungary out of the war in Ukraine while keeping illegal migrants at bay.
What do the polls say?
Orban faces a race against time to revive the economy ahead of the vote, as rising inflation following Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine has sparked a cost-of-living crisis.
Meanwhile, the 44-year-old Magyar's party leads Fidesz in most polls, although there are many undecided voters.
The Tisza party has the support of 48% of decided voters, and Fidesz 40%, according to a poll conducted in December by the Publicus institute.
Magyar said he would keep Hungary firmly anchored in the European Union and NATO and strive for “pragmatic relations” with Russia.
He pledged to unlock billions of euros in frozen EU funds to boost the economy while taking steps to tackle corruption.
