Closing summary
The opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, has won the Hungarian parliamentary election, bringing an end to Viktor Orbán’s 16-year grip on power, in a result that is likely to rattle the White House and reshape the country’s relationship with the EU.
With 98.74% of the vote counted, Magyar’s Tisza party was projected to have won 138 of the 199 seats in the country’s parliament, giving them a super-majority in the near parliament.
The super-majority would let the new government reverse some of the changes made by Orbán and Fidesz, and try to unlock EU funds frozen in a longstanding dispute with the bloc, with a visit to Brussels expected as one of the first foreign trips of the new PM.
In a speech to his supporters, Magyar promised to bring Hungary back to the main fold of European politics, pledging pro-EU and Nato course of the country after years of isolation and awkward relationship under Orbán (22:53, 23:37).
The historic win prompted wild celebrations on the streets of Hungary’s capital city Budapest, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to mark the occasion (21:53, 22:17, 22:22, 22:33, 22:35).
The election was being closely watched around the world as a test of the resilience of the Maga movement and the global far right, many of whom have long looked to Orbán as an inspiration and sought to follow his playbook.
Here is our main story of the night by Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvolgyi:
And from me, Jakub Krupa, it’s all for tonight. It’s an honour to be in Budapest and guide you through the events of the night on the blog.
See you tomorrow morning for more reactions, but in the meantime – good night!
If you have any comments or suggestions, email me at jakub.krupa@theguardian.com.
I am also on Bluesky at @jakubkrupa.bsky.social and on X at @jakubkrupa.
Updated
Meanwhile, the celebrations continue on the streets of Budapest, and some people even tear down the Orbán party’s anti-Ukraine posters plastered all over the city – many of which got already defaced in the last few days of the campaign.
No reaction from White House after JD Vance's 'unprecedented' trip fails to make impact
Amid all these congratulations from other leaders, it’s very notable that there’s been no reaction from the White House so far.
The US president, Donald Trump, is up and posting on Truth Social, but nothing on Hungary so far.
And no comment from the US vice-president, JD Vance, who so keenly campaigned for Orbán in Budapest earlier in the week, openly admitting he was here on an “unprecedented” trip to help him win the election.
Orbán’s defeat now poses awkward questions about the intervention.
For what it’s worth, Magyar’s reacted at the time with the softest possible push back as he focused on the importance of having good relations with the US and even tried to get on the front foot by floating the idea that Trump could visit Hungary on the 70th anniversary of the 1956 revolution in October.
One to watch in the coming days.
In the meantime, more European leaders posted their congratulations for the new government, including the prime ministers of Greece, Luxembourgh and and the president of Romania.
The Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, also sent best wishes – despite her previous public support for Viktor Orbán.
She said:
“I thank my friend Viktor Orbán for the intense collaboration of these years, and I know that even from the opposition he will continue to serve his Nation.
Italy and Hungary are nations bound by a deep bond of friendship and I am certain that we will continue to collaborate in a constructive spirit in the interest of our peoples and the common challenges at the European and international level.”
Orbán’s defeat leaves Slovakia's Fico isolated as main critic of Ukraine in EU
Orbán’s defeat will also pose some awkward questions for Slovakia’s Robert Fico, who regularly teamed up with the Hungarian prime minister.
The pair formed the EU’s awkward squad, publicly insisting on having open relations with Russia (including meetings with Vladimir Putin in Moscow) and openly criticising Ukraine, particularly over recent disruptions in energy imports from Russia.
Once the new government in Hungary gets in place, Fico will now be isolated in the European Council, potentially giving the EU leaders a chance to break the deadlock.
Notably, he very publicly praised Orbán in his pre-election post yesterday, but is yet to publicly congratulate Magyar and Tisza on their win tonight.
Although, to be fair, he is currently in Vietnam and it’s the middle of the night there.
It is perhaps worth noting that despite some concerns about how Orbán would respond to a defeat, he conceded quickly, congratulated his rivals and – unlike some of his allies (18:58) – did not seem to even try to question the result of the vote (at least so far).
in Budapest
In the build-up to the vote, we extensively reported on how much this election meant for Generation Orbán – younger Hungarians who lived all their (certainly adult) lives under the government they so deeply disagreed with.
It’s striking to see just so many of them celebrating now on the streets – and metro stations – of Budapest.
A profoundly generational moment, which many of them directly compared to what 1989 meant for their parents.
'It's over!,' crowds chant on Budapest metro
at Batthyány tér metro station
Hungarians are chanting “It’s over! It’s over” at the Batthyány metro station in Budapest.
Pro-EU opposition wins big in Hungary and ousts Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power - what we know?
The centre-right pro-European opposition party Tisza is on course to secure the two-thirds majority in the new Hungarian parliament, signalling the end of the 16-year rule of Fidesz under populist nationalist Viktor Orbán.
With 98% votes counted, Tisza is projected to have 138 seats in the new 199-seat parliament, compared to Fidesz’s 55, and the far-right Mi Hazank party’s 6.
In a speech to his supporters, Magyar promised to bring Hungary back to the main fold of European politics, pledging pro-EU and Nato course of the country after years of isolation and awkward relationship under Orbán (22:53, 23:37).
The historic win prompted wild celebrations on the streets of Hungary’s capital city Budapest, with tens of thousands taking to the streets to mark the occasion (21:53, 22:17, 22:22, 22:33, 22:35).
Orbán has conceded defeat saying the election result is “painful for us, but clear” (21:31).
But the Fidesz leader pledged he would “never, never, never give up” and said that his party “will serve our country and the Hungarian nation from the opposition.”
The embattled prime minister, was backed in the election by the US president, Donald Trump, the vice-president, JD Vance, and several far-right leaders from across the continent.
Budapest celebrates opposition win, end of Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule - in pictures
Electoral map of Hungary
Visuals team
Tisza set to have two-thirds majority with 97% votes counted
With 96.89% of votes counted, Tisza is predicted to have 138 seats in the new parliament, with only 55 for Fidesz and 6 for the far-right Mi Hazank.
This would give Tisza the critical two-thirds majority required to reverse the Orbán era laws.
Updated
"Russians, go home!," Tusk says as he celebrates opposition win
Looks like Poland’s prime minister Tusk is also feeling a bit of that Budapest metro atmosphere, despite being on a foreign trip to South Korea.
In a post on X, he says:
“Hungary Poland Europe Back together! Glorious victory, dear friends! Ruszkik haza!”
“Ruszkik haza” is obviously “Russians, go home” – the very same song that reverberated on the Budapest metro earlier (22:33).
Magyar plans to visit Warsaw as his first foreign trip, as confirmed during his victory speech. The pair met earlier this year at the Munich Security Conference.
Poland’s foreign minister Radosław Sikorski also doesn’t pass a chance to take a swipe at Orbán as he calls the result “the revenge of the zebras.”
Updated
Magyar pledges to bring Hungary closer to Europe, held Orbán accountable
Speaking to his supporters on Budapest, Hungary’s election winner Péter Magyar pledged to bring Hungary back to the main fold of the EU, step up fight against fraud and corruption and to held the outgoing government accountable for its actions over the last 16 years.
In a wide-ranging victory speech, Magyar has urged Orban to refrain from adopting any measures that would limit the next government’s room for maneuver on policy.
He also urged the country’s president Tamás Sulyok, a Fidesz politician, to give him the mandate to form the next government as soon as possible and then resign from the post. He then went on to call for a number of heads of other party-captured institutions to resign as well.
Magyar promised the Tisza government would restore the system of checks and balances, and join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office as a central part of the new government’s fight against alleged fraud and corruption associated with the Orbán era.
He said “those who defrauded our country will be held accountable.”
On foreign policy, he pledged that Hungary would be a strong EU and Nato ally.
He said he wanted to visit Warsaw in his first foreign trip, before going to Vienna and Brussels, where he will start work on convincing the EU to release its funds to the new government.
on Antall József embankment in Budapest
The crowd on the Pest side – the people who couldn’t get on the overflowing metro - is cheering loudly speeches from the other side as they are listening to them - half following whatever they can hear from across the river, and half from streams played out loud.
Cars passing by honk in celebration.
Updated
in Budapest
I have seen a few people walking around with Tisza posters taken off city lamp posts as a souvenir of this historic moment.
Updated
The British prime minister congratulated Peter Magyar for his victory, calling it a historic moment for European democracy.
Keir Starmer said on X:
“Congratulations Peter Magyar on your election victory. This is an historic moment, not only for Hungary, but for European democracy.
I look forward to working with you for the security and prosperity of both our countries”
Updated
Ukraine’s Zelenskyy joins in congratulations for Magyar and Tisza
Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy is the latest leader to join in congratulations for Peter Magyar and his Tisza.
In a post on X, he says:
“Congratulations to @magyarpeterMP and the TISZA party on their resounding victory. It is important when constructive approach prevails.
Ukraine has always sought good-neighbourly relations with everyone in Europe and we are ready to advance our cooperation with Hungary.
Europe and every European nation must get stronger, and millions of Europeans seek cooperation and stability.
We are ready for meetings and joint constructive work for the benefit of both nations, as well as peace, security, and stability in Europe.”
After a harshly anti-Ukrainian campaign from Orbán, one can only try to imagine how much this result means for Zelenskyy as it offers a chance for a new opening with Ukraine.
Updated
On the Pest bank, a growing crowd of people that couldn’t get on the metro is listening to Magyar’s speech from across the river and cheering along.
Updated
‘My fellow Hungarians, we have done it!’ Magyar tells jubilant Budapest
Magyar is on stage. The crowd is cheering loudly.
“Hello, my fellow Hungarians we have done it!”
Tisza and Hungary have won the elections. Not by a small but by a very large margin.
Together we liberated Hungary.”
Thank you. This couldn’t have been achieved without you.”
“Our victory may not be visible from the moon but it is visible everywhere in Hungary,” he said in a swipe at Orban’s 2022 victory speech.
“We are going to have two-third majority in the parliament.”
Updated
at Tisza’s election party in Batthyany ter
“I really hope these next four years will be better than the past sixteen. And honestly, I was doubtful. I was hoping Tisza would win, but I was hopeful during the past elections, too. And then I was so disappointed because they couldn’t even prevent the two-thirds [majority]. Because of that, I had a lot of doubt in me. And because of this when my friend said Tisza has won, I was like ‘SURE?! Do we have all the data?’ … So I had a lot of doubt but also a lot of happiness underneath,” Anna, 24, from Fejér county told the Guardian.
She says they are planning on drinking spritzer all night and celebrate with everyone gathering on the bank of the river.
She says they all came to Budapest with her friends hoping they can all celebrate here with everyone else – and now, they are.
Updated
at Tisza’s election party in Batthyány ter
Over on the Buda side of the Danube river, the celebrations are also in full swing.
“This dictatorship, it’s right-wing ideology, and all of that will disappear now, and we have a chance for a better country. I am so happy. I’m feeling hopeful and happy,” Nori, 24, tells me with tears of joy in her eyes.
“I hope there will be a chance to have a country that is close to Europe, and we are going to get closer to the west and not going to fight imaginary enemies anymore; that the government will not build on fear but rather opportunities.”
Updated
'Russians, go home' sounds on Budapest metro
“Ruszkik, haza” – Russians, go home! – is the latest chant to sound at Kossuth Lajos metro platform as another train comes and goes overflowing with people.
The slogan – originally from the 1956 Hungarian revolution – was adopted by Orban’s critics during the campaign as a sign of protest against his government’s close ties with Russia.
There are also some other songs that are somewhat more explicitly anti-Orbàn.
One guy slides down the escalator’s mechanism in a way I thought was only possible in cartoons.
Updated
The platform at Kossuth Lajos square metro station is absolutely full, with people waving flags and serving champagne out of bottles.
Lucia and Patrik are university students, who offer it to others as a mark of celebration.
She says “we don’t want to belong to Russia; we want to be a part of the European Union.”
“We have so much potential in Hungary,” she says proudly.
She then gives her view of Orbàn, which is, let’s say, not very complimentary of his rule.
Updated
Streets around the Kossuth Lajos square where the Hungarian parliament is located are absolutely rammed as thousands of primarily young Hungarians are celebrating the election result.
Someone just tried to get on the metro with a floating zebra balloon, a symbol of perceived irregularities under the Orban regime.
The station’s escalators are off because of overcrowding, with lots of people trying – and failing – to get on the train to join Tisza’s celebrations on the other side of the Danube river.
Updated
For all the scepticism about the polls published at 7pm, it increasingly looks like they got the result pretty spot on.
Updated
Merz says he wants to 'join forces for strong, secure, united Europe' as he hails opposition win
More congratulations are coming in for Péter Magyar’s Tisza, including from German chancellor Friedrich Merz, Ireland’s prime minister Micheál Martin and Croatia’s Andrej Plenković.
Merz says he is looking forward to working with Magyar as he hopes to “join forces for a strong, secure and, above all, united Europe.”
Crowds cheering, laughing and hugging each other as Budapest celebrates opposition win
at Tisza’s election night party at Batthyány Square in Budapest
Lots of people cheering, laughing, and hugging each other here at Tisza’s election watch party.
Budapest will not go to sleep early tonight.
Tisza on course for 2/3 majority with 72% votes counted
With 72.44% of votes counted, Tisza is projected to be on course for 138 seats, which would give it the key two-thirds majority in the new parliament.
Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz is at 54, and Mi Hazank at 7.
Nordic, Baltic leaders congratulate Tisza on historic win
Norway’s Jonas Gahr Store hails it as “a result with great importance to all of Europe, and Sweden’s Ulf Kristersson calls it “a historic victory” that “marks a new chapter in the history of Hungary.”
The president and the prime minister of Lithuania also send their congratulations, as does the prime minister of Latvia.
Updated
France's Macron congratulates Magyar on election win
France’s Emmanuel Macron also hails the victory of democracy and “of the Hungarian people’s attachment to the values of the European Union and for Hungary[’s place] in Europe.”
“Together, let us advance a more sovereign Europe, for the security of our continent, our competitiveness, and our democracy,” he says.
'Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight,' von der Leyen says
I am just hoping that Péter Magyar has charged his phone this evening, because he’s about to be very popular.
The European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is among the first with congratulations on his election win.
She says:
Europe’s heart is beating stronger in Hungary tonight.
And then adds:
“Hungary has chosen Europe. Europe has always chosen Hungary. Together, we are stronger. A country reclaims its European path. The Union grows stronger.”
After delivering his speech, Orbán kind of shrugs his arms to someone in the front row as if saying “what else was I supposed to do.”
He looks defeated.
Updated
Election result 'painful for us, but clear,' Orbán says as he concedes defeat
In a brief speech, Orban says the election result is “painful for us, but clear.”
He congratulates the winning opposition party, Péter Magyar’s Tisza.
He says the party has never worked so much in any election campaign as he thanks 2,5 million people who voted for his party and pledges to “never let them down.”
“We will serve our country and the Hungarian nation from the opposition,” he says.
He says that in his over 30 years at the helm of Fidesz, “we have experienced difficult and easy, beautiful and sad years,” but insists he will “never, never, never give up.”
“These days are about healing our wounds, but there’s still work to be done.”
Updated
Orbán concedes election to Tisza’s Magyar
That’s it.
Viktor Orbán is now speaking at Fidesz’s election night and he says the election result is “clear” as he concedes defeat.
He says he congratulated the winning party and admits the result is painful for Fidesz.
Tisza's Magyar says Orbán 'congratulated us on our victory'
Oh.
Tisza’s leader Péter Magyar has just said on Facebook and X that Viktor Orbán called him up to congratulate “on our victory.”
Let’s wait for the official confirmation from the prime minister’s side.
Updated
Opposition Tisza party with shot at 2/3 majority, early results suggest after nearly half votes counted
With nearly half of all votes counted (45.71%), the opposition Tisza party is now on course to get 135 seats – the much-needed 2/3 majority – in the new 199-seat parliament.
Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz is down to 57, and the far-right Mi Hazank to 7.
Updated
'Thank you Hungary,’ opposition leader Magyar says
Feels like Tisza’s leader Péter Magyar is increasingly confident about the result of the vote.
He has just posted a very brief but telling message on his Facebook:
Thank you Hungary!
Nothing from Viktor Orbán so far.
Tisza closing on key 2/3 majority in new parliament as third of votes counted
We are now up to 37%, but the projected seat distribution has not changed: 132 for Tisza, 59 for Fidesz, and 8 for Mi Hazank.
So Tisza is still just a single seat short of the key 2/3 majority – but remember, we still have lots of votes to be counted and the result can change in both directions.
Updated
With 29.21% votes counted, Tisza’s projected result is up to 132 – just a single seat short of the 2/3 majority required to change some key laws in the country.
So far, the partial results are remarkably close to the two polls we covered earlier.
Updated
Opposition Tisza party leads in early vote count - what we know so far?
Opposition Tisza party clearly leads in the early vote count in Hungary.
Tisza’s leader, Péter Magyar, said earlier he was “cautiously optimistic” about winning the vote and ending the 16-year rule of Viktor Orbán in the country.
Follow for the latest updates, analysis and commentary from our team in Budapest, Hungary.
Updated
Tisza lead widens as close to quarter of votes counted
Of course, the numbers got updated just as I was typing the last post. Of course.
We are now at 21.54%, so getting close to a quarter of all votes, and Tisza is currently projected to get 128 seats – just short of the 133 needed for the 2/3 majority – to Fidesz’s 62 and Mi Hazank’s 8.
With 14.72% of votes now counted, Tisza’s lead has widened a bit (but it’s still very early days).
As things stand, it would have 125 seats to Fidesz’s 65 and the radical-right Mi Hazank’s 8.
They are well ahead in the single-seat constituencies, leading in 89 of them to Fidesz’s 16.
The opposition party is now in the lead in the party list vote too, which decides 93 mandates (out of 199).
But – and that’s a good example of how the election system has been, erm, rejigged – it currently gets less mandates from the party list system than Fidesz, despite being more than 4pp ahead in terms of the actual number of votes for them.
Visuals team
For what it’s worth, we are monitoring the real-time partial data and making them look pretty for you so it’s easier to understand what’s going on, so here is our first take.
But, as I said in previous post, this is still very, very early days, so – just as with the polls earlier – don’t read too much into it.
Updated
First partial results start to come in
So we are now getting the first actual results – but as it’s just 6.56% of the votes counted, so it doesn’t really tell us anything remotely meaningful just yet.
The state of play at the moment gives Tisza 110 seats, Fidesz-KDNP 71, and Mi Hazank 9 – with Tisza winning single-seat constituency votes, but Fidesz marginally ahead in the national party list votes.
But, but, but… all of this will radically change, several times, in the next few hours, so don’t pay too much attention at this stage.
If you need a cup of tea, this would be a good moment to go and get it before we get some numbers we can actually work with.
If you think this is all confusing, wait till we are going to get the first partial results – as they will come from small, rural polling stations and are likely to heavily lean towards Fidesz (at least at the party list level), thus going directly against everything we talked about for the last hour.
Isn’t Hungarian politics fun?
Updated
Vote count under way
The good news in all this chaos is that the actual vote count is now formally under way.
Let’s go!
We are expecting first partial results to be released at some point this hour.
Opposition 'cautiously optimistic' as we wait for first results to filter in - what we know so far
The polls have now closed in Hungary in a tightly fought election which could end Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule in the country (19:06).
There were no exit polls, meaning we have no authoritative data on the result so far (18:59).
Opposition leader Péter Magyar said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the outcome after two newly published polls – both conducted before the election day – suggested his party could be on course to win the election (19:22, 19:40).
But equally, Orbán’s chief of staff said he trusted the prime minister’s Fidesz party would have a majority in the new parliament.
We are expecting partial results to start coming in the next hour, allowing us to get an early picture of how the vote unfolded.
Updated
Tisza 'cautiously optimistic' about result, but want to win elections, not polls, Magyar says
at Tisza’s election night party at Batthyány Square in Budapest
During his media briefing, Magyar thanked Hungarians for showing up in record-high numbers for democracy, directing his thanks to all voters, regardless of who they voted for.
But in a hint of what he is expecting to see later tonight, he said:
“Based on the information we have, we are optimistic, cautiously optimistic.”
But Tisza wants to “win elections, not polls,” he quipped, so will have to wait for the results.
He also repeated his regular criticism of Orban’s rule, saying Hungary was “not a well-functioning state” as he offered some counter claims to the government’s suggestions of voting irregularities (18:58).
He didn’t take any questions from reporters, but said he would answer them later – but we need the actual results first.
Tisza’s leader Péter Magyar is briefing the media now.
It’s not really a victory speech – he is as careful as we are on this blog – but he says the party is “optimistic about the result.”
He says the record-high turnout also shows that the Hungarians considered this an important election, and they “made history again.”
Two polls suggest three early questions for election night - snap analysis
The two polls – remember: these are not exit polls and we should treat them with caution – would appear to suggest three early talking points as we brace for a long wait this evening.
The first, a pretty, erm, fundamental one, is: will the actual results be anywhere near these numbers? Could they possibly have got it really wrong?
If confirmed, these results would point to a seismic change in Hungarian politics with Viktor Orbán out of office after 16 years in power, and all sorts of major consequences for Hungary, Europe, Ukraine and beyond.
But there will be plenty people looking at them with some scepticism, not least among Fidesz and Orbán supporters.
For example, Gergely Gulyás, Orbán’s chief of staff, told reporters he still trusted Fidesz would have a majority in the new parliament. We won’t know until we get the actual results.
The second question, assuming the polls got more right than wrong, focuses on Tisza’s exact result which they suggest could even be on the verge of having a two-thirds majority in the next parliament.
Whether they have 132 or 133 votes may feel like a small difference, but it would have major implications for their ability to rewire the state and reverse some of Orbán’s reforms, which would be critical for Hungary’s relations with the EU and unblocking access to EU funds.
Finally, will the radical-right Mi Hazank make it to the parliament or not? When every seat counts, their five or six seats could be the difference between different scenarios.
Updated
Two new pre-election day polls suggest significant opposition lead
Two polls conducted before the vote and released as the polling stations closed appeared to suggest a likely win for the opposition Tisza party.
BUT, BUT, BUT, as explained before and I cannot stress this enough, these are not exit polls, but normal polls conducted before the election, and lots of caveats apply, so we should treat them with caution.
According to a 21 Kutatóközpont poll for Telex, Tisza was expected to poll at around 55%, Fidesz-KDNP 38%, Mi Hazank 5%, DK 1% and MKKP 1%, suggesting the opposition party could have as many as 132 seats in the 199-seat parliament.
Separately, a Median poll, also conducted before the election on 2,283 adult Hungarians, showed similar results giving Tisza 135 seats in the next parliament.
But remember, remember, remember these are not exit polls and there are lots of caveats as explained before.
We really need to wait for the official results.
Updated
Poll close in Hungary
The polls are now closed.
Let me get you the limited polling data we have, subject to previous caveats and restrictions.
Tl;dr: these are not exit polls, and so don’t read too much into them unless they get confirmed by official results.
The latest turnout data show the record-high 77.8% of the electorate cast their votes by 18:30.
That’s easily the highest turnout ever.
No exit polls tonight
Reminder: there are no exit polls.
We will get some polls after once the voting closes at 7pm, but these will be just normal polls with fieldwork in the last few days that had not been published before.
Given how wildly diverging the polls have been so far in this campaign, it is very much TBC as to whether they will match the final results.
So let’s take them more as a suggestion of what could happen than some sort of authoritative gospel.
Partial official results are expected to start coming from 8pm local time (7pm UK), and we should get a clear(er) picture of what happened later tonight.
Government figures appear to imply voting irregularities
Keep an eye on the Fidesz leadership’s reaction to tonight’s results.
When asked this week, Viktor Orbán and his aides repeatedly suggested they would be prepared to concede if the opposition won the vote, even as they maintained their confidence in securing another term.
However, in the last few hours a number of senior figures made comments that appeared to question the integrity of the electoral process, with government spokesperson Zoltan Kovacs posting about alleged “attempted election fraud linked to the Tisza party.”
Balázs Orbán, the PM’s political director who introduced the US vice-president JD Vance at a side event earlier this week, also made similar allegations, talking about “a wave of reports on election fraud and aggressive actions linked to the Tisza party.”
For what it’s worth Tisza’s Magyar decisively rejected these suggestions.
“Claims that anyone is preparing violent actions or planning to occupy buildings after the polls close are the usual scaremongering and lies from Fidesz. Such attempts to sow division are likely coming from Russian advisers present in the country. This kind of fake news is nothing more than the usual weak and desperate fearmongering and disinformation from Fidesz,” he said on X.
It’s important to note that so far there are no independently confirmed incidents of vote irregularities, and international OSCE observers are watching the vote very closely. They are due to report on their findings tomorrow morning.
But it’s worth keeping an eye on this government narrative in the coming hours, particularly should the result be disappointing for Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz.
Tisza supporters hopeful as they wait for results over beers and pretzels
near Tisza party’s election night at Batthyány tér
As I walked up to the press tent on the Buda side of the river, I saw Tisza supporters gathering for the watch party having beers and pretzels in front of a massive screen that reads “System change now”.
The mood at Batthyány Square is joyful and optimistic, people seem to have a genuine good time despite the chilly weather. Somewhat symbolically, the opposition’s supporters here have a direct view of the parliament from where they are sitting.
Hungary votes - in pictures
Good 'vibes' give Budapest hopes for opposition win
in Budapest’s 14th district
Making the most of a beautiful day in Budapest, I spent a large part of the day zooming around Budapest (using the city’s great bike paths!) and chatting with voters.
In the 14th district of Budapest, I spoke with several people voting in the polling stations on Ajtósi Dürer sor.
Atilla, 35, told me that he was confident about the result because of “the vibes” in the city and the country. “It will be really big change,” he told me confidently.
But where was that confidence coming from, I ask. “[It’s] because of the vibes in Hungary,” he replied with a cheeky smile. “It’s the vibes, [everyone is] so passionate, and I’m hearing it’s not just in Budapest, like four years ago; it’s better.”
How much a potential change of government would mean to him?
No words to say how much. Too much.
Separately, Barbara and Margit, 21, also expressed some hope about the result – but they struck a more cautious note.
“I feel really hopeful. We finally have a chance to change the government,” Margit said.
But Barbara said she wanted to stay “realistic” before the results come in.
“I thought last time around that the opposition seemed pretty strong and it wasn’t [in the end]. I’m trying to not get my hopes up, but we will see. I hope something changes today.”
She added that if the opposition wins,
“It will mean a lot – not just for us as a country, but also for Europe in general. I have seen quite a few posts about the Czech Republic and different countries, all waiting for [the results of] our election.”
Updated
Voters in Budapest for change, but remain nervous about outcome
in Budapest’s 5th district
I went to a few polling stations today to get a sense of how Budapest residents in the heart of the city are feeling about today’s elections.
Most of them weren’t sure about the outcome, despite most polls showing a confident lead for Tisza, but expressed hope. Some young voters said they feel like they are witnessing a historic moment.
“I really hope there will be a change of government,” Fruzsi, 22, told me at Erzsébet Square, next to the famous Budapest ferris wheel, right after she cast her vote. “My experience is that there are so many angry people because they are lying to us.”
She says she is really bothered by the intense propaganda the government is pushing on voters.
Gergő, 36, seemed a little more nervous about the results. He said he and others anticipated change during previous elections, too, and were unpleasantly surprised by the outcome. So now he is more cautious and approaches today with an “anything is possible” attitude.
“But I am anticipating change. At least I’m hoping. ... This arrogant political style from the government, and that they are inciting hate and attacking everyone, from teachers to judges and all ethnic groups, is awful,” he told me, adding that when the government is done with attacking Zelenskyy, they’ll find a new enemy.
Mária, 81, is also hopeful, but she is hoping for a very different outcome than Fruzsi and Gergő, rooting for the ruling party, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz.
“I trust that he’ll protect our country,” she told me, adding that she doesn’t think the war is the biggest threat looming over Hungary, but rather “all of these extremist people who don’t think the way they should.” She said people should not have too high expectations for the government because they don’t have the budget to execute everything, and is hopeful that it’ll be another supermajority for Orbán.
I am now heading over to the international press room at the Tisza event – after making sure I’m properly caffeinated for the long night ahead…
'It's going to be very exciting' - what voters tell us on the ground in Budapest
in Budapest
Orbán’s Hungary 'remains in a category of its own' on repressive laws and policies
So much focus on Hungary is somewhat understandable as a recent Liberties report found that Orbán’s Hungary “remains in a category of its own [in Europe], continuing to pursue ever more regressive laws and policies with no sign of change”.
But it’s not the only country with severe problems when it comes to the rule of law.
Drawing on evidence from more than 40 NGOs in 22 countries, the Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) described the governments of Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Italy and Slovakia as “dismantlers” that were actively weakening the rule of law.
But we also looked at the rule of law more broadly…
… as well as the far-right’s attacks on Europe’s public service media …
… and on how Europe’s civil society fights back against some of these controversial moves across the continent.
The report was prepared by our Europe correspondent Jon Henley, with contributions from Deborah Cole in Berlin, Angela Giuffrida in Rome, and, well, me!
‘He cares about Hungarians’: the small Ukrainian town divided over Orbán
in Berehove
Across much of Ukraine, Sunday’s parliamentary election in Hungary is being followed with a singular hope: that Viktor Orbán, the Kremlin-friendly leader who has made opposition to Kyiv a centrepiece of his campaign, will be voted out after 16 years in office.
But in Berehove, the mood is more complicated.
In this small town of about 30,000 in Ukraine’s hilly Zakarpattia region, ethnic Hungarians form a majority, and Hungarian is heard as often as Ukrainian. Daily life – from schooling to the television channels watched at home – remains closely tethered to neighbouring Hungary.
Some residents admit, often quietly, that they are rooting for Orbán’s Fidesz party.
Orbán has long portrayed himself as a defender of ethnic Hungarians abroad – about 60,000 of whom live in Zakarpattia – claiming they face widespread discrimination in Ukraine and are being forced to assimilate into Ukrainian society.
His critics, both in Hungary and within Ukraine, say he has exaggerated – and at times distorted – those grievances to justify a hostile stance towards Kyiv and its western allies.
Hungary’s Viktor Orbán seeking to drum up votes by doing down Ukraine
Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvölgyi
in Budapest
Paid for by its rightwing, populist government, the billboards attacking Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy and the opposition leader, Péter Magyar, blanket Hungary.
It’s a nod to the election strategy that Viktor Orbán, the EU’s longest-serving leader, has unleashed as he lags in most polls before upcoming elections: convincing voters that the country’s greatest threat is not fraying social services, the rising cost of living or economic stagnation, but rather the neighbouring country of Ukraine.
“Effectively, Ukraine is portrayed as a main enemy,” said Zsuzsanna Végh, an analyst at the German Marshall Fund. “This is not just about Ukraine per se, but it fits into the standard strategy of the governing party, of mobilising its electorate through generating fear in society.”
In 2018, when Orbán was seeking a third consecutive term as prime minister, he and his Fidesz party sought to stoke fears about migration. In 2022, as voters headed to the ballot box five weeks after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Orbán peddled the baseless claim that the opposition would send Hungarian troops to fight in the war.
This election, as Orbán faces an unprecedented challenge from a former top member of his own party, Péter Magyar, the strategy has seemingly been kicked into high gear. “We definitely see a significant escalation,” said Végh.
Leaked calls prompt scrutiny of Hungary's close ties with Moscow
In the final weeks of the campaign, Viktor Orbán and his ministers also repeatedly clashed with Ukraine and EU member states over Budapest’s close ties with Moscow.
In one leaked phone call, it appeared that Orbán offered to go to great lengths to help Vladimir Putin, telling the Russian leader “I am at your service” in an October call, it has emerged, prompting further scrutiny of Budapest’s ties to the Kremlin just as JD Vance arrived in the city.
Separately, a number of leaked telephone calls between Hungary’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, prompted the European Commission to demand an urgent explanation from Budapest.
In the leaked conversations, the pair talked about a number of confidential EU discussions, including on EU sanctions on Russia and the bloc’s accession policy towards Ukraine, with Szijjártó even offering to share some internal documents.
Their interactions were branded “repulsive” and “unacceptable” by several EU leaders.
In response, one of the country’s best-known investigative journalists was also targeted by the government with spying allegations.
Trump, Vance and European far-right leaders rallied for Orbán ahead of tricky electoral test
In the build up to today’s vote, Hungary’s Viktor Orbán received unprecedented backing from foreign leaders, many of whom even made the trip to Budapest to offer their public endorsement.
In late March, several like-minded leaders from across Europe – including France’s Marine Le Pen and the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders – attended a “Patriots for Europe” meeting in Budapest, praising the embattled prime minister and his importance in the conservative movement.
And in the last week, the US vice-president JD Vance flew into Budapest to appear alongside Orbán and endorse him just days before the vote.
“It’s unprecedented for an American vice-president to come the week before an election,” he acknowledged.
But he said he had decided to come because of what he described as the “garbage happening against” Orbán in the election, and said he wanted “to help, as much as I possibly can” – all while rejecting claims of interference.
But his boss, the US president, Donald Trump, has also not exactly been shy about expressing his preferences, repeatedly urging Hungarians to vote for his ideological ally.
On Friday, he even offered to throw “the full economic might of the US to strengthen Hungary’s economy,” stepping up his support for Orbán even further.
Who is Péter Magyar, the opposition leader challenging Viktor Orbán?
Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvölgyi
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.”
Opposition leader Magyar paints vote as 'choice between East or West'
Opposition leader Péter Magyar said today’s vote in Hungary amounted to “a choice between East or West” which would define the country’s future for “a very, very long time.”
Speaking to reporters after voting in Budapest, Magyar presented the vote as a historic choice of the country’s orientation and between “propaganda or honest public discourse; corruption or clean public life.”
He said first turnout data was “very, very encouraging,” but urged everyone to vote.
The fate of Hungary is being decided today for a very, very long time.
The Tisza leader appeared confident about the result of the vote, saying his party “will win this election,” but “the question is whether we can get this two-thirds mandate, or do we have to govern with a simple majority.”
He said a supermajority would make it easier to “dismantle this system, tear apart this spider web which entangles our country.”
Magyar also responded to speculations about potential provocations that could see the result contested, urging people to “maintain their peace.”
“No one should give in to any provocation. We know for sure that if this election takes place calmly and legally, then this election will be won by Tisza and Hungary,” he said.
2026 turnout by 5pm still far ahead of previous elections
Speaking about the turnout (17:20), we have just had the latest update, showing record-high levels of interest in the election.
More than 74% of the electorate has cast their votes by 5pm, up from 62% at the same time of the day in 2022.
Updated
Most Hungarians want better relations with EU, poll finds
Europe correspondent
After years of relentless EU-bashing by their nationalist, illiberal prime minister, an overwhelming majority of Hungary’s voters back its membership of the bloc, and most – including many of Viktor Orbán’s voters – now want a new approach to Brussels.
Days before elections at which Orbán, who has consistently painted the EU as an enemy of the Hungarian people, risks being ousted after 16 years in power, a poll has shown a huge appetite for a recalibration of the country’s relations with the bloc.
The survey, by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) thinktank, found that 77% of voters support EU membership; three-quarters of respondents “trust” the bloc; and 68% want at least some degree of change in Hungary’s EU engagement.
Orbán has battled with Brussels – which has suspended billions of euros in funding – over a wide range of policies including on justice, migration, LGBTQ+ rights and aid for Ukraine, which, along with sanctions against Russia, he has consistently blocked.
EU leaders have largely steered clear of commenting on Sunday’s vote to avoid accusations of seeking to influence it, but Orbàn’s status as a far-right icon in Europe and beyond makes the election the bloc’s most consequential this year.
While the desire for change was strongest (91%) among supporters of Péter Magyar, the centre-right challenger whose Tisza party leads Orbán’s Fidesz by a double-digit margin in recent polls, nearly half (45%) of Fidesz voters also wanted a reset.
Majorities of Fidesz voters also said they supported Hungary’s continued membership of the EU (65%) and “trusted” the bloc (64%), while a large minority (43%, compared with 66% in the population as a whole) even backed Hungary joining the euro.
23 years on from EU accession referendum, Hungary 'once again ... decides direction' of country
Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvölgyi
in Budapest
Today’s election comes 23 years to the day after Hungarians voted overwhelmingly to join the European Union, drawing comparisons to that historic vote and its influence on the future of the country.
“Now, on 12 April, once again, voters are not simply choosing between parties, but deciding the direction, identity, and future of Hungary,” Tisza’s Anita Orbán, no relation to the prime minister, said on social media. “In many ways, this election is a referendum on whether Hungary returns to European values.”
It was a hint of how much has changed in Hungary since Orbán took power in 2010. What followed was, in the words of Zoltán Kész, a former member of the Fidesz party, nothing less than a “coup in slow motion,” albeit one that eschewed tanks for lawyers and clientelism.
The rightwing populist government had used its time in office to steadily whittle away at the checks and balances that constrained its power: rewriting election laws to its own benefit, manoeuvring to put loyalists in control of an estimated 80% of the country’s media, and retooling the country’s judiciary.
Meanwhile, Budapest has become a hub of thinktanks and conferences aimed at amplifying the idea of Hungary, in the words of one local journalist, as a “Christian conservative Disneyland” where the global far right feels at home.
Hang on: what's the story and why does it all matter?
Europe correspondent
Not a regular observer of Hungarian politics? We’ve got you.
The EU’s longest-serving leader, Orbán has since 2010 turned Hungary into what he calls an “illiberal democracy”, declaring himself Europe’s defender of traditional Christian family values against an onslaught of western liberalism and multiculturalism.
His four successive governments have comprehensively eroded the rule of law in Hungary, packing the courts with judges loyal to him and turning up to 80% of the country’s media in effect into a propaganda machine for himself and his far-right Fidesz party.
He has become the EU’s disruptor-in-chief, battling with Brussels – which has suspended billions of euros in funding – over policies including on justice, migration, LGBTQ+ rights and, more recently, aid for Ukraine, which, along with sanctions against Russia, he has consistently blocked (including the latest €90bn loan).
Orbán is the EU’s most Moscow-friendly leader, continuing to buy Russian oil and gas and to meet Vladimir Putin since Russia’s full-scale invasion. Recent allegations that Budapest shared confidential EU information with the Kremlin have sparked EU outrage.
Orbán has inspired like-minded EU-obstructive leaders such as Slovakia’s Robert Fico and the Czech Republic’s Andrej Babiš, and boosted nationalist challengers such as France’s Marine Le Pen and the Netherlands’ Geert Wilders.
In short, the election will have consequences far beyond Hungary, a country that accounts for just 1.1% of the EU’s GDP and 2% of its population but has, under Orbán, come to play a role on the international stage out of all proportion to its size.
For more Q&As on what it’s all about and who are the key players, check our explainer here:
Hungary on course for record-high turnout as Orbán says 'not a single patriot can stay home'
Early turnout data point to an unprecedented mobilisation across Hungary with long queues at polling stations, which is almost certain to lead to a record-high turnout at the end of the day.
At 11am, the turnout was 37.98%, over 12pp higher than in 2022 at the same time of the day. At 1pm, it was at 54.14%, up from 40.01%. At 3pm, it was 66.01% – up from 52.75%.
While the exact maths behind it is somewhat complicated, it is generally assumed that a higher turnout should help the opposition, although it is very much and to be expected that Fidesz will try to mobilise its voters too.
And Viktor Orbán appeared to acknowledge the pressure, with a rallying cry to his supporters on Facebook earlier today:
“Lots of people are voting, this means one thing: if we want to protect the security of Hungary, not a single patriot can stay home!
'I am here to win,' Orbán says after casting his vote
The Hungarian prime minister, Viktor Orbán, cast his vote early this morning in Budapest, accompanied by his wife, Anikó Lévai.
Talking to journalists after the vote, the Fidesz leader, who could lose his position after 16 years in power, insisted he was “here to win,” stressing he “likes to win.”
He also dismissed the possibility of results being contested by the EU, saying “they have to accept the intention and the will and expressed opinion of the people.”
“They can’t disrespect the Hungarian people,” he said.
Asked to compare today’s vote to the historic election in 1990, he said “the context is different.”
“The question is not to [establish] democracy or not, but how to operate the democratically elected government.”
He then said:
“We are heading towards major crises – not one, but several, coming together. So I think we need strong national unity to … resist the energy crisis, the financial crisis, the economic crisis [coming] towards us.”
Responding to a suggestion this could be his last election, he insisted: “I am a young man!”
Orbán also said it would have to be a “big” defeat for him to resign from the leadership of Fidesz.
No election silence, but there are some restrictions on campaigning
Unlike many other countries, Hungary does not really have an election silence period, so some campaigning activity can still take place today.
But there are some caveats and restrictions that effectively mean that no more major events (that’s why both candidates held their final rallies last night) are permitted and no campaigning can take place near polling stations (specified as 150 meters from the main entrance). All posters in place before the polling day can remain there, too.
Having said that, people still come up with creative ways to make their views known to others: earlier today I saw a van driving in central Budapest, blasting Fidesz’s campaign song on full volume.
What to expect when during the night?
The voting has started at 6am this morning, and will close 7pm local time (6pm UK).
We should get some new polls with data from this week – not exit polls! – around then, but it’s worth taking them with more than a pinch of salt. I will bring you the numbers, but take them with caution.
Despite all the excitement around this election, the situation is so tight and the polls are so all over the place that we would be well advised to wait for the official numbers before drawing any definite conclusions.
First partial results should start coming in the first 60 minutes after the polls close, and we should get to about a half of all votes counted by 10pm local time, and over 90% as we approach midnight. So strap in, this rollercoaster may need a few hours to get to its final stop.
If the result is particularly tight, we could then get into tricky situation as the last bit – the overseas votes – won’t be counted until, erm, Saturday.
Pre-election day polls suggest Tisza win but lots of questions remain
While here was no shortage of polls before the election day, they were a bit all over the place – largely depending on their, erm, affiliation and proximity to the ruling party.
The more independent pollsters appeared to suggest that Péter Magyar’s Tisza party was on course for a victory, but the margin of that win – again – was not entirely clear with wildly different numbers on offer.
The consensus view appeared to be that they held around 10 percentage points lead coming into the final weekend.
But, but, but… there is a lot of complexity in the Hungarian electoral process that mean we need to be pretty careful about interpreting these numbers.
It’s a mixed system, which was repeatedly reformed and redrawn by Orbán in a way that critics say resulted in a baked-in advantage for his party. But the top line is that there will be 106 MPs elected in single-member constituencies, and 93 from national party lists, decided with some pretty complex electoral maths behind it and a 5% party threshold to get in.
So, as difficult as it is going to be, we may have to be more careful than usual about drawing conclusions early in the night.
Magyar ends campaign in Debrecen as he attacks Fidesz's positions
Meanwhile, Tisza’s leader Péter Magyar closed his campaign in Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest city.
His rally gathered unexpectedly high number of supporters given the city has always been a Fidesz stronghold and seen as an pretty ambitious target for Tisza leader’s campaign.
András Bíró-Nagy of Policy Solutions in Budapest told me that Magyar’s decision to campaign in traditionally Fidesz parts of Hungary in the last days of the campaign seemed to suggest he was confident of making gains there.
Orbán’s party, Fidesz, has governed in Debrecen for 28 years, making it “the Fidesz capital of Hungary,” but “Orbán had to go there [earlier in the week] because even pro-government pollsters are indicating that the city might be up for grabs,” he said.
He said that Magyar’s decision to hold his last rally there was “very symbolic” and suggests “he feels that he can win even there … and if he makes it, it will mean the change of government [nationally], for sure.”
Orbán's last rally showed key messages cut through with his supporters
in Budapest
Viktor Orbán finished his electoral campaign at a rally in front of the Matthias Church in the centre of the Buda Castle District last night.
It wasn’t that busy as you would perhaps expect for the last rally of the campaign, but a few thousand people gathered there to express their hopes that Orbán will be re-elected for the fifth consecutive term.
But Orbán’s key messages – his criticism of Europe’s support for Ukraine and warnings about the dangers of changing the government amid looming global uncertainty – appeared to land well, with many of his supporters enthusiastically reacting to his speech.
Curiously, Hungary’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó, who is at the centre of controversy over his contacts with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, also appeared on stage.
And a group of counterprotesters managed to briefly hold up a banner mockingly saying “It’s the end, comrades” before the prime minister’s supporters got it down.
Budapest is heavily leaning towards the opposition, but the rally served its purpose to close the campaign on a high, with strong visuals of Orbán in front of the Saint Stephen’s monument, in a place seen as particularly symbolic to the Hungarian state’s history.
Hungarians vote in hard-fought election that could oust Viktor Orbán after 16 years
Ashifa Kassam and Flora Garamvolgyi in Budapest
In 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.
The challenge to Orbán’s power has sent rightwing leaders from across the globe scrambling to rally behind him. This week, JD Vance turned up in Budapest for a two-day visit, the US vice-president telling reporters that his aim was to “help” Orbán win.
The US president, Donald Trump, has also repeatedly endorsed Orbán, most recently on Friday, when he vowed on social media that he would bring US “economic might” to the country if Orbán is re-elected. Months earlier, leaders including Italy’s Giorgia Meloni and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu also made it clear that they were backing Orbán.
The result will be closely watched by the Maga movement and the global far right, many of whom have long cited Orbán as an inspiration and sought to follow his playbook.
Hungary votes as the future of Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule hangs in balance
Hello from Budapest where Hungarians are voting in a closely contested 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.
Pre-election day polls appeared to suggest that Péter Magyar of the centre-right Tisza party could be on course to win the election, ending Orbán’s era, much criticised for weakening the rule of law and civil liberties, and raising hopes of a more pro-European government in Budapest.
But it’s still a long way to go before that happens. For what it’s worth, ignoring the noise, Orbán seemed pretty confident about the outcome in his final campaign appearances.
We will bring you all the latest in the coming hours with first-hand reports from polling stations, all the necessary background, and then – obviously – the results and reactions to the vote.
The voting closes 7pm local time (6pm UK).
Stay with us for all the latest from Hungary.
It’s Sunday, 12 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live from Budapest, Hungary.
Good afternoon.
