Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Hungary’s parliamentary elections: All you need to know

Hungary’s parliamentary elections: All you need to know

Hungarians go to polls on April 3 to choose between ‘more autocratisation or re-democratisation’, analysts say.

Hungarians are set to go to the polls on April 3 that will see 199 MPs elected to the National Assembly for four-year terms.

Under the Hungarian election system, 106 single-mandate constituencies are decided by first-past-the-post voting.

The remaining 93 MPs will be elected from a single nationwide constituency mostly by proportional representation.

Who’s in the race?


Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking a fourth consecutive term. His nationalist conservative Fidesz party has enjoyed a super-majority, allowing him to change the constitution, for much of the past 12 years.

Having moved steadily to the right, Orban has arranged to run a referendum on his anti-LGBTQ policies.

Orban greets supporters attending a rally in Budapest


In the opposite corner stands United for Hungary – an awkward alliance of opposition parties including the far-right, the traditional left, greens, and liberals.

This alliance was designed, say the parties, to save the country from Orban’s increasingly corrupt and authoritarian rule.

Conservative independent Peter Marki-Zay was selected as the bloc’s candidate for prime minister in October.

What are the main campaign issues?


Fidesz planned the referendum as the centrepiece of its campaign to mobilise its conservative electorate.

It has also concentrated on linking the united opposition with figures such as American philanthropist George Soros and other members of what it says is a globalist liberal elite determined to destroy Hungary’s sovereignty, flood the country with migrants, introduce “gender madness“, and throw out Fidesz’s populist economic policies.

United for Hungary, meanwhile, planned to concentrate on claims that Orban has organised a widespread network of corruption to steal European Union funds and rigged the justice and electoral systems to help him get away with it.

Promises to raise investment in health and education are aimed at highlighting Hungary’s poor management of the coronavirus pandemic and strike action by teachers.

Peter Marki-Zay addresses his supporters during a rally in Budapest


However, the war just across the border in Ukraine has overwhelmed all issues to dominate the campaign.

Orban is Russian President Vladimir Putin’s closest EU ally. Although the government has not blocked EU sanctions against Moscow, it has refused to reduce Hungary’s heavy reliance on Russian energy and refuses to let weapons headed to Ukraine transit the country.

United for Hungary has tried to turn the election into a referendum on whether Hungary should be part of the East or West.

It has also taken aim at the government’s populist economic policies, which include generous benefits and capped energy prices, claiming that the economic spillover from the war will make these policies unsustainable.

Fidesz has reacted by promoting Orban as a guarantor of peace and stability. The opposition has been branded warmongers for calling for stronger support for Ukraine and accused of planning austerity.

The opposition strategy is not working, said Mariann Ory, senior editor at pro-government daily Magyar Hirlap.

“Polls show that for most people the priority is to keep Hungary out of the war and protect its energy security,” she said.

Is the election race free and fair?


Many claim a free and fair election is not possible in Hungary.

It is estimated that under Orban’s rejigged election system the united opposition needs a margin of victory of at least 6 percent to secure a majority.

The control of the media landscape that Fidesz has built over the past 10 years or so is also an issue, say analysts, allowing the party to limit the narratives to which many voters are exposed.

“The ruling party’s campaign is more effective, because it has a machine dominating the public sphere,” said Robert Laszlo from Budapest-based think-tank Political Capital.

These worries have persuaded the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) to monitor the vote.

It has expressed concern not only over Fidesz’s domination of the media market but also the misuse of administrative resources, the blurring of state and political party roles, and campaign financing.

Local organisations, meanwhile, have raised an army of 20,000 volunteer poll observers.

But Fidesz spokesman Zoltan Kovacs says such action is unnecessary, and the result of bias against Orban’s illiberal views.

“It’s going to be a completely free election,” he told Al Jazeera. “The OSCE comes from a world that is against us.”

However, even the Fidesz-funded Center for Fundamental Rights admitted that the OSCE’s “sending of a full election monitoring mission [is] … an unprecedented step for an EU member state”.

What do the opinion polls say?


Amplified by his media machine, Orban’s narrative around the war in Ukraine appears to be working.

Even the efforts of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to push Budapest to show greater solidarity seem to have had little effect.

Fear of the war appears to be stronger in Hungary than anger at Putin’s aggression, say analysts. And as the pressure rises, United for Hungary’s unity and experience is being tested.

“The opposition needs to mobilise its electorate and change the narrative in the coming days,” said Milan Nic, a senior fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations.

Opinion polls in December last year suggested there was little to choose between Fidesz and the united opposition. But surveys taken since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine suggest Fidesz has opened a small but potentially decisive lead of five points or more.

“I only see defeat,” a senior official from the United for Hungary told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity. “Eighty seats would be a reasonable result for us. Fidesz won’t get another super-majority.”

Why do Hungary’s elections matter?


Despite Hungary’s small size, the election is being closely watched.

Although a member of the EU and NATO, under Orban the country has become a key player in the populist attack on the Western democratic order.

His state capture and attacks on the rule of law and minority rights have severely tested the EU’s democratic credentials.

Budapest’s geopolitical ambivalence has also generated suspicion that Russia and China see Hungary as a weak link regarding NATO security.

Orban has often wielded his veto in the twin Western institutions to support the interests of the Eastern giants, including obstructing Ukraine’s Western trajectory.

Orban’s role as an icon for the global far right adds to the vote’s importance.

A defeat for the Hungarian strongman, on the back of former President Donald Trump’s demise in the US and other recent setbacks for illiberals, would bolster suggestions that mainstream unity can fight populism.

Another four years for Orban could help reinvigorate the global drift towards authoritarianism.

“The outcome … will determine [Hungary’s] short-term stability and long-term political direction, toward either more autocratisation or re-democratisation,” said Daniel Hegedus, a fellow at the German Marshall Fund of the United States.

“The elections will also be of strategic importance for the European Union and Hungary’s transatlantic partners,” he said.


AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Ukraine Declares De Facto War on Hungary and Slovakia with Terror Drone Strikes on Their Gas Lifeline
A monster hit and a billion-dollar toy empire
Animated K-pop Musical ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ Becomes Netflix’s Most-Watched Original Animated Film
Canada: Nurse Suspended and Fined 93 Thousand Dollars After Stating the World’s Most Well-Known Fact Since the Creation of Adam and Eve, That There Are Only Two Genders
Elon Musk tweeted, “Europe is dying”
Far-Right Activist Convicted of Incitement Changes Gender and Demands: "Send Me to a Women’s Prison" | The Storm in Germany
Hungary Criticizes Ukraine: "Violating Our Sovereignty"
Will this be the first country to return to negative interest rates?
U.S. Treasury Secretary Whitney Bessent Backs Stablecoins to Boost Treasury Demand
Spain to Declare Disaster Zones After Massive Wildfires
Three-Minute Battery Swap Touted as Future of EVs
Beijing Military Parade to Showcase Weapons Advances
U.S. Tech Stocks Slide on AI Boom Concerns
White House Confirms Talks Over Intel Stake
Trump Suggests U.S. Could Support Ukraine ‘By Air’
Trump Called Viktor Orbán: "Why Are You Using the Veto"
Horror in the Skies: Plane Engine Exploded, Passengers Sent Farewell Messages
AI in Policing: Draft One Helps Speed Up Reports but Raises Legal and Ethical Concerns
Shame in Norway: Crown Princess’s Son Accused of Four Rapes
Apple Begins Simultaneous iPhone 17 Production in India and China
A Robot to Give Birth: The Chinese Announcement That Shakes the World
Finnish MP Dies by Suicide in Parliament Building
Outrage in the Tennis World After Jannik Sinner’s Withdrawal Storm
Class Action Lawsuit Against Volkswagen: Steering Wheel Switches Cause Accidents
UK Government Tries to Sue 4chan for Breaching Online Safety Act
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
"Every Centimeter of Your Body Is a Masterpiece": The Shocking Meta Document Revealed
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
China Requires Data Centres to Source Majority of AI Chips Locally, For Technological Sovereignty
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
×