Election in Hungary

Analyst: Orbán strengthened by Trump's support - could lead to more repression if he wins

A possible victory for incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the April 12 election will have consequences far beyond Hungary's borders, several analysts tell AFP.

Zsuzsanna Vegh at the American think tank German Marshall Fund says a win for Orbán would mean more of the path already taken, where Hungary acts as a brake on joint EU decisions. Vegh predicts that Orbán will feel "increasingly strengthened" because he also has the support of Donald Trump.

Andras Biro-Nagy, head of the think tank Policy Solutions, predicts that another term with Orbán will mean more anti-democratic measures.

- If Orbán wins, we can expect further radicalization and an escalation of aggressive measures against political opponents, he tells the news agency.

With ten days to go until the election, independent opinion polls show Orbán’s opponent Péter Magyar leading.

Hungary’s election — the real issue

• Hungary goes to the polls on April 12. Long-serving Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is being challenged by Péter Magyar and the opposition Tisza party, which is leading in the polls.
• Several reports have suggested that the Hungarian government under Orbán has been leaking sensitive EU information to Russia for years.
• Russia has been running disinformation campaigns and considering an assassination attempt against Orbán to boost his support ahead of the election, according to sources.
• In addition, a new BBC documentary accuses Orbán’s government of trying to buy votes with money and drugs, especially in poor areas, which may have affected up to 600,000 voters.
• The election is marked by deep economic divisions, corruption allegations and foreign influence. Orbán and Magyar accuse each other of being governed by foreign interests.
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