Hungary holds parliamentary elections on Sunday that could end the 16-year tenure of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Voting lasts until 19:00, with the first results expected in the evening. According to election authorities, turnout already reached a record 37.98 per cent in the first five hours – 12 per cent higher than in previous elections.
According to most polls, the favourite in the race is opposition politician Peter Madjar, who heads the Tisza party created after he left the ruling Fidesz.
After the vote in Budapest, Madjar said that if he wins, he will strengthen the country’s position in the EU and NATO and fight corruption more actively.
At the same time, Orban, who had already voted, told reporters, “I am here to win,” adding that he “does not underestimate his rival.”
The two sides exchanged statements before the vote, with Orban accusing the opposition of intending to “seize power at any cost” while Madjar urged voters not to be subjected to “pressure and blackmail” from the authorities.
The opposition promises regime change, a reset of relations with the European Union and an end to close ties with Russia.
At the same time, Orban retains the support of US President Donald Trump, who has previously urged Hungarians to vote for their “friend and winner”.
The prime minister is emphasising in the campaign on confrontation with Brussels and the issue of the war in Ukraine, saying Hungary “will not give up its children, weapons and money”.