Elections in Hungary

Hungarians demonstrate ahead of crucial vote: “Enough is enough”

Tens of thousands of Hungarians gathered on Thursday to show their support for their preferred candidate for prime minister. There are only two days left until Sunday’s crucial vote, when long-time leader Viktor Orbán will face off against more pro-EU challenger Péter Magyar.

“We came here because we believe in Péter Magyar, and we have had enough of the old system,” Attila Jozsa told AFP in the city of Gyor.

In the city of Debrecen, Orbán’s supporters have gathered.

“I don’t trust Magyar, from one day to the next he turned around and stabbed Fidesz in the back,” said taxi driver Attila Szoke.

Magyar was previously a member of the ruling Fidesz party, and was also married to former Justice Minister Judit Varga.

Orbán claims election fraud ahead of Sunday's crucial election

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán accuses the opposition of colluding with foreign intelligence services, trying to win the election by dishonest means and threatening his supporters with violence.

- This is an organized attempt to use chaos, pressure and international smear to question the decision of the Hungarian people, he claims in a post published on Facebook.

The accusations are not supported by any evidence.

Opposition leader Péter Magyar has a clear advantage ahead of Sunday's crucial election. He is described as the pro-EU and liberal candidate, while Orbán is seen as the more totalitarian candidate who wants to deepen ties with Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.

If Orbán loses, he will lose his 16-year grip on power. There are fears that he will not accept a defeat, for example by claiming that the opposing side cheated.


Viktor Orbán feels undermined by Facebook

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government claims that Facebook is undermining him and instead promoting opposition politician Péter Magyar, Politico reports.

The core of the government’s criticism is that the algorithm limits the reach of politicians’ profiles, which they say Orbán has, compared to personal profiles they claim Magyar uses.

That there is any truth to this is denied by Facebook’s parent company Meta.

According to a review by the Hungarian newspaper Telex, Orbán has more followers, but Magyar has a greater impact. In March, his 287 posts accounted for over 14 million interactions. Almost twice as many as Orbán’s 342 posts.

Magyar’s party believes that this is a result of the opposition leader “speaking the language of the algorithm” and being better at keeping up with the pace of the news cycle.

The Hungarian election — it’s about the issue

• Hungary goes to the polls on April 12, with the opposition Tisza party under Péter Magyar leading in opinion polls over Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz.
• The election campaign has been marked by allegations of Russian influence, leaks from EU meetings to the Kremlin and alleged attempts at election manipulation.
• US Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump have publicly supported Orbán, while EU countries and France have expressed concern about Hungary's actions towards Russia.
• An attempted sabotage of a gas pipeline near the Hungarian border has led to mutual accusations between Hungary, Russia, Ukraine and Serbia about responsibility and election influence.
• The OSCE is monitoring the election with international observers, and several analyses indicate that the outcome could have a major impact on the EU’s future decision-making processes.