Closing summary
… and on that note, it’s a wrap for today!
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and opposition leader Péter Magyar took part in major rallies on the penultimate day of campaign in Hungary in a final push to mobilise their supporters ahead of this weekend’s pivotal parliamentary election.
Addressing a Fidesz stronghold in Székesfehérvar, Orbán largely stuck to his campaign lines attacking Ukraine and warning voters about the risks associated with a government change.
Meanwhile, Magyar pushed to win over more voters in the final 48 hours of the campaign, as polls suggest his Tisza party could win the vote on Sunday, ending Orbán’s 16-year rule.
We will be live-blogging from Budapest again on Sunday, bringing you all the key updates, results, and analysis of the vote.
If you have any tips, comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
near Heroes’ Square, Budapest
Over in Budapest, the party is very much still on Heroes’s Square and adjacent areas, with the City Park absolutely packed with people coming and going from the anti-Orbán concert.
It will be a long night in Budapest.
But it’s worth remembering that the capital is expected to heavily back the opposition on Sunday, so this perhaps should not be that much of a surprise. But as “get out the vote” move, this will definitely help.
in Székesfehérvar
Orbán sounded uncharacteristically tired during his speech, which was noted with some concern even by his supporters.
But his message remained sharp as he repeated his earlier warnings that a change of government would be a gamble for Hungary.
Orbán sticks to campaign script as he repeats attack lines against Ukraine
in Székesfehérvar
Orbán is here!
“I once asked Schwarzenegger how many push-ups you have to do for it to count. He said it starts to count when it hurts. It’s the same with this campaign.”
He says Fidesz needs three million votes to win and can only get it with the votes of Hungarians abroad.
“We can lose a lot in this election, but they stand to lose even more. (…) They need a strong motherland.”
On how the campaign is going, Orban says he was in Debrecen yesterday and people there were confident they are going to win.
He also repeats his attack lines on Ukraine as he tells Tisza supporters to “stand on one leg until the Ukrainians get back the money they believe Russia owes them.”
In his view, if the opposition wins, they will take the Hungarian money and give it to Ukraine, and repeats his criticism of Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy, alleging he wanted to cause chaos in Hungary to “have a pro-Ukrainian government” instead.
Let’s check in with Flora at Orbán’s rally in Székesfehérvar…
Huge crowds gather at anti-Orbán concert in Budapest
Meanwhile in Budapest, a huge crowd takes part in a free concert protesting against Viktor Orbán’s government in a bid to get out the younger vote on Sunday.
Fidesz rallies its supporters in Székesfehérvar stronghold
in Székesfehérvar
On this chilly Friday evening, around 500 people are at Városház square in Székesfehérvar to hear Orbán.
The host of the event is encouraging people to hold up their Fidesz signs and to talk to friends, acquaintances, and colleagues to vote for Fidesz on Sunday.
Mayor Gábor Törő is on stage. He included ethnic Hungarians in the opening line of his speech.
“Let’s get loud! Until now we were the silent majority,” it booms from stage.
A small group of far-right nationalists are chanting: “Ria-Ria-Hungária!”
The next speaker stage is saying Székesfehervár is the “city of kings” as he likens Orbán to King St Stephen.
“If we want to stay out of the war then our task is to vote for Fidesz, for Viktor Orbán on Sunday.”
Updated
Could this be the end of Viktor Orbán in Hungary? - video
Over the past 16 years prime minister Viktor Orbán has turned Hungary into what he calls an ‘illiberal democracy’, using a parliamentary supermajority to effect constitutional control over institutions, targeting minorities, political opponents and the independent media in the process.
Yet in spite of this power, he is projected to lose the popular vote at the upcoming election, the most critical in Europe this year.
With rightwing populism on the march globally, the Guardian’s On the Ground team has recently visited Budapest to find out if Hungary might have found the template for how to fight an oligarchy.
Watch the documentary here:
Orbán visits Fidesz stronghold of Székesfehérvár on penultimate campaign day
moving on Intercity 862 Balaton train to Székesfehérvár
I am on my way to one of the last Viktor Orbán rallies, in Székesfehérvár, a city an hour away from Budapest where the Fidesz mayor previously won about 70 percent of the votes.
“In Székesfehérvár, the city leadership is quite loyal to Fidesz,” said Mátyás Bódi, an analyst at the Electoral Geography website.
“But Fidesz won here in the past mainly because of the opposition’s lack of unity, and the fact that voting districts were completely redistricted* by the end of 2024 also contributed to that.”
By “redistricted” he essentially means redrawn – and largely to benefit the government.
But, but, but… Flora Garamvolgyi is going to see Orbán today, so let’s cross over to her.
Also, you may very reasonably ask why I focus so much on Magyar today, and not the incumbent prime minister, Viktor Orbán.
That’s purely down to scheduling and where the two candidates are, but the good news is that I will be attending Orbán’s rally in Budapest tomorrow and will tell you all about it in our pre-election blog on Sunday.
Okay, time for some music.
During Magyar’s rallies, there is a (surprisingly decent) selection of songs that play before he comes out on stage, but one stands out in particular.
It’s a song from a Hungarian smash hit rock opera István, a király, about the life of the first Hungarian king, Saint Stephen.
Te kit választanál? (“Who would you choose?”) tells the story of the power struggle following the death of Grand Prince Géza around 997.
The battle for the crown pitted his son, Stephen, or István, who advocated for the transformation of Hungary into a Christian state against his uncle, the traditionalist pagan lord Koppány, who made a claim because of his seniority.
The lyrics go more or less:
Tomorrow, someone will have to defeat the darkness
Say, who would you choose?
Tomorrow, someone will have to rewrite the old tales
Oh, say, who would you choose?
Tomorrow, someone will have to bring salvation to this world.
I will let you draw your own historical parallels that Magyar’s Tisza seemingly wants to suggest here; in the original storyline, István won (after a pretty brutal struggle, though).
Curiously, Orban’s Fidesz also uses another song from the very same opera, which sort of nicely reflects the fact that, as the Hungarian media reported, the duo behind it is similarly politically divided.
moving on IR 85 back to Budapest-Keleti
Another supporter, Levente Kohári, told me how about his hopes to see Magyar adopt a more pro-business platform to help younger entrepreneurs like him grow their innovative startups in Hungary.
He was particularly frustrated by the state of the Hungarian economy and reported allegations of misuse of public funds.
“I do not want to pay taxes to … a state where my tax money goes to waste,” he said. “It’s absolutely not the right thing to do.”
He said he was frustrated with Viktor Orbán’s government for not supporting young entrepreneurs, and would expect a bigger push towards supportive regulations and to make the most of the EU membership.
“I want to change the world … that’s why I started my companies, that is why I continuing to doing this. Obviously, there are other benefits, but that’s not the main goal. And if someone is not supporting, … helping people [grow], I think that’s just a waste of my time, effort, money, everything.”
Under a new government, he would want to see “an incubator for startups to bring … the Hungarian GDP back up and [use] the [human] capital of people’s minds. There is a bunch of smart people, and they [the government] are just wasting that.”
Although he lives in Budapest, he has registered to cast his ballot in Hatvan, where his parents reside, as he thinks his vote will matter more there in case of a close result.
'There is some hope, at least for now'
in Hatvan
On the margins of Magyar’s rally, I managed to briefly chat with some of his supporters.
Xenia – who didn’t want to give her second name – told me she “really hope there will be some change in Hungary, because we really need it.”
“After 16 years, there is [finally] some hope, at least for now,” she said.
Asked about Magyar, she said:
“I don’t know what’s so special about him, but we tried to change the regime four years [ago], but the candidate wasn’t strong enough.
He [Magyar] can attract many [more] people around him, … and whatever happens, we have to try.
I don’t know if it’s going to work out or not [with Magyar], but this is the first chance that we actually have to change something, and it would be foolish not to try.”
Updated
Péter Magyar holds rally in Hatvan
in Hatvan
Magyar shows up pretty much on time to a rock star welcome from high hundreds of supporters. The crowd has grown massively in the last half hour.
As is now customary, he walks into the crowd with his flag as he poses to some pictures and selfies before delivering his campaign speech and reminding people of how little time is left in this campaign.
He’s got eight more rallies to go, ending in Debrecen tomorrow night.
Updated
Who is Péter Magyar, the man leading the polls as Hungary prepares for election?
Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvolgyi in Budapest
As a child growing up in Budapest, Péter Magyar had a poster of Viktor Orbán – at the time a leading figure in the country’s pro-democracy movement – hanging above his bed.
Orbán was one of several political figures that adorned his bedroom, Magyar told a podcast last year, hinting at his excitement over the changes sweeping the country after the collapse of communism.
Now Magyar, 45, is the driving force behind what could be another momentous political change in Hungary: the ousting of Orbán, whose 16 years in power has transformed the country into a “petri dish for illiberalism”.
Conversations with those who know Magyar often alternate between admiration and antipathy. Many praise the tremendous movement he has built and the discipline he has shown as he crisscrosses the country, giving up to six speeches a day, while also describing him as someone with a short temper and a style that can be abrasive at times.
Others see him as the perfect fit for the magnitude of the moment. “I think, like all politicians, he can be a difficult person,” said Tamás Topolánszky, a film-maker who was part of a team that spent the past 18 months following Magyar for a film on the wider change sweeping Hungarian society.
Topolánszky described Magyar as authentic and passionate, but also someone who could be impatient at times. “I think that this is something that we Hungarians now see was necessary to get us to this point.”
Crowds gather to see opposition leader Magyar in Hatvan
in Hatvan
Off the Intercity train and after a quick ride on an e-scooter, I am at Kossuth square in Hatvan – a town with some 20,000 residents, 60 kilometers east of Budapest - where maybe a couple of hundreds of supporters await Tisza leader Péter Magyar on the penultimate day of the campaign.
There’s plenty of Fidesz posters on lamp-posts, but Tisza supporters aren’t exactly shy to make their views clear either.
One shop with household items even put out a pretty direct call to vote saying: Magyar – Europe; Orbán – Russia.
Magyar is expected in under 15 minutes and the crowd grows with every minute.
Updated
Orbán seeks to mobilise voters as he warns against change
Meanwhile, Viktor Orbán also issued a rallying cry to his supporters, lauding the achievements of his government over the last 16 years and warning them that a change of government would “threaten all we built together.”
In a Facebook video – which he trailed last night as particularly important – he repeated his usual allegations of interference and collusion with some foreign security services, claiming there was “an organised attempt to question the decision of the Hungarian people.”
“This is not the time for division, anger or hatred. Hungary needs cooperation, unity and security,” he argued.
But in perhaps a hint of vulnerability, he also directly asked voters to speak with “families, friends, and acquaintances” to tell them that “the stakes are high and change is dangerous.”
Fidesz's attack posters with Zelenskyy are everywhere
moving on Intercity 564 Tokaj train
One of the striking features of this campaign is how much Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy features on Fidesz’s attack posters, alleging his association with the opposition’s Magyar and urging voters to “stop them”.
Okay, that picture isn’t great, so here’s a better shot:
They are plastered all over Budapest, and even en route to Hatvan now, I have seen just as many of them as those showing Viktor Orbán.
Ukraine has been a massive talking point throughout the campaign, with Orbán repeatedly using it to position himself as “the peace candidate,” ready to stop some alleged EU-Ukraine conspiracy to draw Hungary into conflict with Russia.
My colleague Ashifa Kassam, who is also in Budapest for the election, explained it well here – and this rhetoric has only got stronger since then.
Magyar's campaign moves east of Budapest
moving on Intercity 564 Tokaj train
Meanwhile, I have jumped on the Intercity Tokaj train to Hatvan, where the opposition leader Péter Magyar is expected around 1pm local time.
In 2022, Zsolt Szabó, the candidate from Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party won here decisively with over 50% of the vote, so it’s not exactly a naturally friendly ground for the opposition forces.
But in recent days, his rallies gathered some impressive numbers, so it will be interesting what sort of reception he gets today.
As we get closer to the vote, his campaign moves eastwards towards Debrecen, Hungary’s second largest city, where he is due to finish campaign tomorrow evening.
MEPs raise alarm about possible Russian meddling in Hungary elections
in Brussels
The European Commission is being urged to investigate whether Hungary’s elections are being undermined by Russian manipulation, intimidation of journalists and voter coercion by the ruling party.
Three days before decisive parliamentary elections that threaten the 16-year grip on power of the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, a group of MEPs have written to the European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the commissioner responsible for the rule of law, Michael McGrath, calling for action.
The cross-party group want an urgent assessment “before and immediately after” polling day on whether the conditions for free and fair competition are being undermined by disinformation, foreign manipulation, state-resource misuse, intimidation of journalists and unlawful interference with opposition actors.
The appeal came as the European Commission demanded an urgent explanation from Budapest over a leaked recording that appeared to show a further instance of the Hungarian foreign minister covertly helping his Russian counterpart.
in Budapest
As you’re reading this Trump post, it’s probably worth keeping in mind that his VP, JD Vance, spent most of his time in Budapest fuming about the unacceptable foreign interference in the election and declaring it absolutely outrageous.
So, yeah. Make of that what you will.
'Get out and vote for Viktor Orbán,' Trump tells Hungarians
Overnight, the US president, Donald Trump, repeated his endorsement of Viktor Orbán ahead of the vote on Sunday, urging Hungarians to “get out and vote” for him and stressing he will be “with him all the way.”
Obviously, it’s not the first time Trump intervenes in this campaign, with the pair going back over a decade.
Earlier this week, the US vice-president JD Vance called him on his mobile while on stage speaking at a “day of Hungarian-American friendship” pre-election rally in Budapest, and Trump earlier also recorded a video endorsing the embattled Hungarian prime minister.
In today’s post on Truth Social, he said:
“Highly Respected Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, is a truly strong and powerful Leader, with a proven track record of delivering phenomenal results. He fights tirelessly for, and loves, his Great Country and People, just like I do for the United States of America. Viktor works hard to Protect Hungary, Grow the Economy, Create Jobs, Promote Trade, Stop Illegal Immigration, and Ensure LAW AND ORDER! Relations between Hungary and the United States have reached new heights of cooperation and spectacular achievement under my Administration, thanks largely to Prime Minister Orbán. I look forward to continuing working closely with him so that both of our Countries can further advance this tremendous path to SUCCESS and cooperation. I was proud to ENDORSE Viktor for Re-Election in 2022, and am honored to do so again.
Election Day is Sunday, April 12, 2026. Hungary: GET OUT AND VOTE FOR VIKTOR ORBÁN. He is a true friend, fighter, and WINNER, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement for Re-Election as Prime Minister of Hungary — VIKTOR ORBÁN WILL NEVER LET THE GREAT PEOPLE OF HUNGARY DOWN. I AM WITH HIM ALL THE WAY! President DONALD J. TRUMP”
Magyar voters are hopeful for change, but despite optimism he is seen as far from perfect candidate
in Budapest
We talked to a few Budapest residents this morning in the city centre at Jászai Mari Square.
Most of them were rushing to work, but still stopped to chat with us about the upcoming vote on Sunday, which seems to creep into every single conversation here lately – as they say, even at family dinners.
Some of them were not that keen on sharing the exact party they are going to vote for but every single one of them had strong opinions about the two main candidates: Hungary’s far-right prime minister Viktor Orbán, who has been in power for 16 years and Péter Magyar, a young(ish) centre-right figure who emerged from Fidesz circles and turned against the party a year ago.
Talking to people, we got the sense that despite Magyar leading the polls, he is not necessarily seen as the “perfect candidate,” but rather a protest vote against Orbán.
People who are planning to vote for him are hopeful about the vote on Sunday and predict a clear win for Magyar, who has the highest chance so far to put an end to Orbán’s reign.
But we also met a surprisingly high number of Fidesz supporters in the capital who resonated with the ruling party’s message: Sunday is about choosing “between war and peace”. One Fidesz voter called the opposition candidate a “narcissist”; others said they are satisfied with how Orbán supports ethnic Hungarians in the neighbouring countries.
Updated
Morning opening: Helló Budapestről!
in Budapest
Helló Budapestről!
Or, to those of you inexplicably less fluent in Hungarian: hello from Budapest!
It’s a beautiful if slightly chilly morning here in the Hungarian capital as we enter the final hours of the campaign before this Sunday’s parliamentary vote that could see the end of Viktor Orbán’s 16 years in power.
When you look at the polls, they are a bit all over the place – particularly depending on their, erm, affiliation and proximity to the ruling party – but all independent pollsters appear to suggest that Péter Magyar’s Tisza party is on course for victory on Sunday.
But there is plenty time before then, with a number of voters still undecided or not sure if they are even going to vote, despite the expected record turnout.
In his last rallies, Magyar warned his supporters against complacency, stressing the need to fight for every single vote and to get everyone to come out on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Orbán argued that “no election is decided until the people decide it,” and insisted he still expected a victory on Sunday.
Let’s see how it goes.
We will be bringing you updates from Budapest and beyond to get you a sense of what is the feeling on the ground in Hungary.
It’s Friday, 10 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
