April 12, 2026

Parliamentary elections have begun in Hungary. Orban's party may lose power for the first time in 16 years

On April 12, nationwide parliamentary elections started in Hungary. Polling stations are open across the country from 6:00 AM to 7:00 PM. A total of five parties are participating. The main rivals are Viktor Orban's Fidesz, who has been Prime Minister since 2010, and the opposition Tisza party led by Peter Magyar, which, according to polls, has more public support. Combined data from Politico as of April 9 shows the opposition leading by 11 percentage points: Fidesz has 39% support, and Tisza has 50%. Data cited by Reuters indicates an even larger gap: 39% versus 52%. The possibility of Viktor Orban losing has seriously concerned Moscow. According to WP, Russian intelligence even proposed staging an assassination attempt on the Hungarian Prime Minister to boost his ratings. The Kremlin called this information fake. Amid falling ratings, Orban intensified his anti-Ukrainian rhetoric, FT wrote. As part of this policy, Hungary blocked a European loan to Ukraine of 90 billion euros and the 20th package of sanctions against Russia. Additionally, a scandal erupted between Kyiv and Budapest over the "Druzhba" pipeline, through which Russian oil is supplied to Hungary. US President Donald Trump has expressed support for Viktor Orban several times. Votes are expected to be counted no later than Saturday, April 18. Hungary is a parliamentary republic. The government in the country is formed through a parliamentary majority. Parliament is the central political body that passes laws, approves the budget, and oversees the government. Executive power is concentrated in the hands of the Prime Minister.