Hungary's ruling Fidesz party pulled two percentage points ahead of the opposition alliance, according to a survey of voter intentions by think thank IDEA Institute published on Thursday ahead of a parliamentary election on April 3.
The survey put support for the six united opposition parties at 37% with long-serving nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz on 39%. The institute's December survey showed the two camps tied on 38%.
It said Thursday's poll confirmed that "month by month, Fidesz is growing its support systematically, although not spectacularly," adding that "the governing party gained an advantage in all voting groups surveyed."
Orban will in April face a united opposition front for the first time since taking office a landslide election win in 2010.
The opposition alliance includes the Democratic Coalition, the Socialists, liberals and the formerly far-right, and now centre-right, Jobbik. Its candidate for prime minister is Peter Marki-Zay, an independent who is currently mayor of Hodmezovasarhely, a town in southern Hungary.
Two fringe parties, the Two-Tailed Dog Party (TTDP) and far-right Mi Hazank (Our Homeland) both scored 3% in the survey, below the 5% threshold for getting into parliament.
DATE AGENCY FIDESZ OPPOSITION UNDECIDED
Jan 4-14 IDEA 39 37 10
Dec 4-7 Median 39 34 13
Dec 9-14 Republikon 33 36 24
Nov 2-12 Zavecz 37 41 14
Nov 2-3 Nezopont 56 42 N/A
Oct 25-29 Republikon 32 38 30
Oct 11-19 Zavecz 35 39 23
Sept 29-Oct 4 Median 37 37 17
Oct Szazadveg 50 44 6
Sept Zavecz 37 38 23
Sept 20-21 Nezopont 53 45 N/A
Aug 23-25 Nezopont 52 46 N/A
(Reporting by Anita Komuves; editing by John Stonestreet)
