Turnout in Hungary's closely watched parliamentary polls hit a record high on Sunday, as voters flocked to participate in a ballot that could end nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's 16-year rule.
Polls opened acros Hungary at 6 a.m. and closed at 7 p.m. local time, with initial results expected Sunday night. Orban and his top challenger, Peter Magyar, arrived at separate polling stations in Budapest at nearly the same time to cast their votes.
Speaking to reporters outside, Orban said the campaign had been “a great national moment on our side” and thanked activists and supporters for their work. “I’m here to win,” he said.
Turnout by 6:30 p.m. was over 77 percent, according to the National Election Office, a record number in any election in Hungary’s post-Communist history.
Two hours before polls closed, turnout had already surpassed the total 2022 vote by about 140,000 ballots.
62-year-old Orban, who is seeking a fifth straight term, has transformed his country into a model of "illiberal democracy", publicly clashing with Brussels over rule of law issues, as well as over support for war-torn Ukraine.
Former government insider Magyar, 45, burst onto the scene just two years ago, amassing support against a backdrop of economic stagnation, despite an electoral system skewed in favour of Orban's Fidesz party.
In one polling station in Budapest, none of the voters questioned by RFI said directly that he or she was voting for Orban. But nobody directly said that they were voting for his opponent either. “I’m voting for Europe,” said Josef Rotar, a delivery man in his forties. “Things must change. There is too much corruption. I hope things will change for the better. Everybody is curious what will happen. But change is not going to be easy.”
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Aranka Borsaine Kiss is a retired entrepreneur. She also didn't want to say for whom she voted, but then complained that she’s frustrated with the current government.
"When communism fell, I was young, I started as an entrepreneur and I had all these opportunies, but I now feel the country is like a prison to me.”
When she retired Kiss got more involved into politcs and realised that “everything is falling apart.” But if there’s a change in leadership, “everything will be difficult for the new government” and it may be hard to get rid of corruption “because everybody is used to it now."
Choice between 'East and West'
Gyorgy Nemeth, a cheerful tour guide who runs boat trips in Budapest, says he has known for two years how he would vote.
“I’ve had a strong opinion for two years,” he told RFI. “We want to end the corrupt Orban regime.” He expects a majority of voters to back Tisza’s Peter Magyar.
“We want a civilised Western Europe – we don’t want Russia,” he added. Nemeth said many voters in the region still look for strongman leadership.
“Unfortunately, it is a socialist tradition that most people in this part of Europe want a father – a leader – because they are too lazy to think and have their own opinion.”
“We don’t need a father – we’ve had enough. We want a democratic parliament, not a one-man show.”
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He also accused the incumbent prime minister and his family of enriching themselves.
“Orban and his family have become the richest in the country. His son-in-law owns half the hotels in Budapest, his wife owns half the Tokaj wine region – we don’t want that.”
Nemeth dismissed arguments that Hungary must maintain close ties with Moscow for energy.
“The Czech Republic is also landlocked, and they don’t have Russian oil. They are happy. Why can’t we have non-Russian oil?”
Balasz Polito, in his early twenties and sporting a Wilson cap, was too young to vote in 2022.
“What I see now in my country – the development, the infrastructure – there is no development,” he said. “I hope to see some movement now, like in other European countries. We are sick and tired of the current situation, and Tisza is one of the strongest opponents, in my opinion.”
He added that he “has a lot of friends who vote for Orban.” “They have their right to do so, but they didn’t convince me to move from my current choice,” he told RFI.
But if there’s going to be a new government, the task will be hard. “They are going to have to build op everything from scratch,” he says. “We need to be strong and keep the momentum."
