Hungarians vote in hard-fought election that could oust Viktor Orbán after 16 years

Viktor Orbán has argued that Hungary’s biggest threat is the Ukraine war and he alone can keep the peace. Photograph: Balint Szentgallay/NurPhoto/Shutterstock

Hungarians are heading to the ballot boxes to vote in a landmark parliamentary election that could oust Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power and potentially reshape the central European country’s relations with the EU, Moscow and Washington.

During the campaign, Orbán – the EU’s longest-serving leader – has trailed in the polls as he faces an unprecedented challenge from Péter Magyar, a former elite member of Orbán’s Fidesz party.