Voting has begun in Hungary's parliamentary elections, pitting incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s long-ruling Fidesz against challengers led by Peter Magyar’s Tisza party. The night before the polls, Orban wrapped-up his campaign with a rally in Budapest’s historic Buda Castle district, blending confidence, anti-war rhetoric, and MAGA-style flair amid scattered protests.
It was still chilly at around six o’clock this morning when polling stations opened in the Hungarian capital. In Budapest’s 7th District, polling station No. 002 has been set up in a day care centre for elderly people on Dohany Street.
Pale neon light shone over the tables. “Not many people have come yet,” the bureau director told RFI – a short man in his late fifties. He expects turnout to pick up later in the morning, and especially in the late afternoon.
At 7:30 just a handful of people had cast their ballots – they seemed to be in a hurry, with their IDs verified and ballots cast within seconds.
The choice for voters is relatively simple, with five parties on the ballot.
List no.1 is the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party (MKKP), led by David Nagy. It began as a satirical movement in 2006 but was only officially registered as a party in 2014. Although running independently, it is broadly sympathetic to list no.2, the Tisza Party of Peter Magyar, which currently leads the polls.
List no.3 is the far-right My Homeland party, led by Laszlo Toroczkai. It is widely seen as a potential kingmaker if the result is close.
List no.4 is the Democratic Coalition, a social democratic party led by Klara Dobrev. It was founded in 2010 as a faction within the Hungarian Socialist Party before later running independently.
Finally, list no.5 is the ruling party Fidesz, led by Viktor Orban.
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Orban’s last rally
On the eve of what may be Hungary’s most important elections since the fall of communism in 1990, Prime Minister Orban wrapped up his campaign with a final rally in central Budapest, on Holy Trinity Square in the Buda Castle district – one of the city’s oldest and most historic quarters.
The square was packed with thousands of Orban supporters, but the atmosphere contrasted sharply with Thursday’s large anti-Fidesz demonstration and concert in Budapest, which drew a predominantly younger crowd. By comparison, the pro-Fidesz supporters were mostly well-dressed, middle-aged and elderly, and tended to chant slogans only when prompted by groups of activists working megaphones within the crowd.
And there was the MAGA (“Make America Great Again”) influence – one man wearing a red cap similar to the one often sported by US President Donald Trump – with the words “Make Hungary Great Again” branded at the front.
The cap was also emblazoned with the logo of the Center for Fundamental Rights, an ultra-conservative think tank that is tightly connected to the US Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) that steers Trump's political agenda.
Another man wore a T-shirt depicting Orban as “Hungary”, single-handedly preventing the outbreak of World War III – echoing his claim that rival Peter Magyar is a warmonger.
For many Fidesz supporters, a Magyar victory would mean Hungary being drawn into armed conflict and facing a bleak future.
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Protests
But Orban’s final rally also drew protesters. At the edge of the square, a rowdy group stood out, holding a large banner reading “It is over, comrades” in Cyrillic script – a pointed reference to Orban’s overtures to Russian President Vladimir Putin, with whom he maintains friendly ties.
Orban argues that Hungary’s dependence on Russian oil and gas – as a landlocked country – leaves it little choice but to avoid fully aligning with EU sanctions against Moscow, in order to preserve a steady flow of energy.
But the protesters were quickly surrounded by about a dozen police officers, who gently pushed them away, checked their identification and forced them to take down the banner. After being questioned, they were escorted from the scene and disappeared into the night.
Far from the incident, Fidesz leaders struck a confident tone.
“On Sunday, the stakes are the highest: war or peace … the governing parties will win a victory so large it will be visible from the moon,” Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto declared.
Polling stations close at 7pm local time.
