- Hungarian voters are set to cast their ballots on Sunday in a parliamentary election where nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban faces his most significant challenge in 16 years.
- Opinion polls indicate that Orban's Fidesz party is trailing the centre-right Tisza party, led by former Fidesz insider Peter Magyar, who is campaigning on an anti-corruption platform.
- Orban's re-election campaign has been bolstered by support from US Vice President JD Vance, who visited Hungary, and has emphasised his strong ties with figures such as Vladimir Putin and Trump.
- The Prime Minister has drawn widespread criticism across Europe for his pro-Russian stance on the invasion of Ukraine, including dismissing Russian drone incursions into Nato airspace.
- Hungary's economy is struggling due to high inflation and the European Union withholding approximately €19bn in funding over concerns regarding the rule of law and corruption.
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