The first statements from Viktor Orban's camp, after the vote in Hungary: “The very high turnout is the result of the mobilization of Fidesz”

The record turnout in Hungary's parliamentary elections on Sunday is the result of a massive mobilization effort by the ruling Fidesz party, and the election was a democratic one, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's chief of staff said Sunday evening, after polling stations closed.

The very high voter turnout in this Hungarian election shows a strong democracy, Gergely Gulyás, Viktor Orbán's chief of staff and campaign, told a press briefing, Reuters reports.

“We are glad that the next parliament will have this strong democratic mandate,” Gulyás added, saying he was confident that Fidesz would have a majority. His statements were made before the Hungarian election results came out.

Polls had already closed in Hungary at 19:00 local time, at the end of a tense parliamentary election in which Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's Fidesz party faced off against opposition Péter Magyar's Tisza group.

After 16 years at the helm of the country, Viktor Orbán may lose power. His enemy, the man who wants to take his place at the head of the government, is Péter Magyar, a former member of the Fidesz party, who rebelled against the system.

Record turnout

Hungarians voted in huge numbers in this crucial election for the future of the country, setting a record turnout. The final voting turnout has not yet been officially announced, but half an hour before the polls closed, 77.8% of voters had voted.

There is no traditional exit poll, but the latest polls that emerged after the polls closed point to a victory for the opposition led by Peter Magyar.

The first official partial results will start to appear from 20:00 local time, that is, 21:00 Romanian time.

Follow the Hungarian election results LIVE on HotNews