What the polls say in Hungary ahead of the decisive election more than two and a half months away
Hungarian opposition leader Peter Magyar answers a journalist's question during a press conference in Budapest, Hungary, on January 5, 2026.,Image: 1063514246, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: , Model Release: no, Credit line: Attila KISBENEDEK / AFP / Profimedia
Hungary's centre-right opposition party Tisza maintained its 10 percentage point lead over Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party in January, according to a new poll published late on Monday.
Fidesz enjoys stronger support only among voters over the age of 59 who live in villages and small towns, according to the survey.
Nationalist Orban, who has been in power since 2010, will face major competition for the first time in 16 years in the April 12 parliamentary elections. Tisza is headed by Peter Magyar, a former member of the government.
The vote will have major implications for Europe and far-right political forces. Orban, an ally of US President Donald Trump, has frequently clashed with the EU over the steady erosion of democratic values in Hungary, which he denies.
Tisza has a 10% lead over Fidesz
The new poll, conducted between January 19 and 24 by Zavecz Research and published on the Telex news site, showed that among decided voters, Tisza has 49 percent of the vote, up from 47 percent in November, and Fidesz 39 percent, up one percentage point from November's 38 percent.
The extreme right-wing party Mi Hazank (Our Motherland) is supported by 5% of decided voters.
According to the poll, Tisza enjoys major support (41% to Fidesz's 22%) among voters under the age of 39, but Fidesz leads with 38% to 35% among voters over 59.
Among those with primary education, Fidesz leads with 38%, while Tisza has 27% here.
Most polls show Fidesz trailing Tisza, despite measures to appease voters disgruntled by Hungary's three years of economic stagnation. Pro-government polls suggest Fidesz leads in voter opinion.
Orban presented the 2026 election as a choice between war and peace, describing Ukraine as unworthy of support and his government as the only safe choice.
Tisza, who entered politics in 2024, said he would fight corruption, unlock billions of euros in frozen European Union funds to boost the economy and firmly position Hungary in the EU.
