Hungary elections live: Orban fights to remain in power as voters head to polls in key test for Europe
Voters in Hungary will head to the polls on Sunday as nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban faces the toughest opposition of his 16-year tenure.
Opinion polls suggest that Orban and his nationalist Fidesz party will lose power to the centre-right, pro-European Union Tisza party, led by former party loyalist Peter Magyar.
US Vice president JD Vance took time out of a busy schedule amid a fragile ceasefire with Iran to assist Orban with his election campaign, saying the European leader “stands up for the values of western civilisation”.
Orban, a staunch ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, has drawn widespread criticism across Europe for his support for the invasion of Ukraine.
He previously shrugged off Russian drone incursions into Nato airspace, saying: “So what?” and declared: “Ukraine is not an independent country.”
Polling stations open on Sunday at 6 a.m. (0400 GMT) and close at 7 p.m. (1700 GMT). The results should become clear by late Sunday evening.
In pictures: Voters take to the polls in Hungary
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 13:00
Can Hungary’s opposition finally topple Europe’s most pro-Russian leader?
After 16 years in power, Europe's longest-serving leader Viktor Orbán is seeking re-election in a de facto vote on the future direction of Hungary: toward European-style liberal democracy or closer ties with Russia.
Orbán is the most pro-Russian leader in the EU, and his defeat would be a significant blow to Putin, Trump and the international populist movement.
Opposition leader Péter Magyar has built his campaign on promises to restore Hungary's Western orientation towards the EU and Nato.
Going into the final week of the election, most opinion polls put Magyar and his opposition Tisza party ahead of Orbán’s Fidesz party.
But can Magyar pull off a huge victory? The Independent’s Caspar Barnes takes a look below:
Can Hungary’s opposition finally topple Europe’s most pro-Russian leader?
The most important election in Europe for a long time is taking place in Hungary on Sunday, April 12. After 16 years in power, Europe's longest-serving leader Viktor Orbán is seeking re-election in a de facto vote on the future direction of Hungary: toward European-style liberal democracy or closer ties with Russia. Orbán is the most pro-Russian leader in the EU, and his defeat would be a significant blow to Putin, Trump and the international populist movement. Opposition leader Péter Magyar has built his campaign on promises to restore Hungary's Western orientation towards the EU and Nato. Going into the final week of the election, most opinion polls put Magyar and his opposition Tisza party ahead of Orbán’s Fidesz party. But JD Vance’s trip to Budapest this week, offering Orbán’s campaign a last-minute boost from the Trump administration, might be enough to turn the tide in favour of Fidesz.
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 12:30
Who is Peter Magyar?
Peter Magyar appears to be on the brink of becoming Hungary’s first new leader in 16 years.
The 45-year-old is a former Orban loyalist. But he is now facing the prime minister in a battle at the polls he is tipped to win.
His split from the ruling Fidesz party came in February 2024, when he made a live appearance on pro-opposition YouTube Channel Partizán and explained why he had become disillusioned with the faction.
It came amid a national scandal after president Katalin Novák granted a pardon to a man who had helped cover up sexual abuse in a Hungarian state-run children's home.
In March 2024 he took over a dormant party called Tisza and began to close in on Mr Orban in the polls.
Mr Magyar has pitched the vote at this election as a choice "between East and West".
His campaign has tapped into discontent over alleged state corruption and falling living standards, with young voters particularly eager for change.
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 12:00
Comment: How Hungary’s election could bring about a third term for Donald Trump
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 11:30
Watch: Viktor Orban and Peter Magyar cast their votes in 2026 Hungary election
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 11:00
Orban has Trump's backing - will it be enough?
Across the Atlantic, Trump and his MAGA movement are all-in for another Orbán term.
The US president has repeatedly endorsed the Hungarian leader, and vice president JD Vance even made a two-day visit to Hungary last week meant to help push Mr Orban over the finish line.
Mr Orban’s admirers in the US see his government and his Fidesz political party as shining examples of conservative, anti-globalist politics in action, while he is reviled by advocates of liberal democracy and the rule of law.
But the prime minister’s Hungary-first policies aren’t popular with everyone.
His campaign has been shaken by media reports alleging that his government colluded with Moscow. Mr Orban, who denies any wrongdoing, says his goal is to protect Hungary's national identity and traditional Christian values within the EU and its security in a dangerous world.
His opposition, Peter Magyar, has tapped into discontent over alleged state corruption and falling living standards, with young voters particularly eager for change.
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 10:26
Orbán's rural base is still behind the Hungarian leader
István Vároczi, a 63-year-old entrepreneur from the small Hungarian city of Cegléd, says he doesn't believe the polls that show prime minister Viktor Orbán could lose a pivotal election on Sunday.
After 16 years in power and four straight election victories, Mr Orbán is facing an unprecedented challenge from a centre-right opponent — Péter Magyar of the Tisza party — who has sought to whittle away at Mr Orbán's rural support base with months of relentless touring in the countryside.
While most polls show that many Hungarians have abandoned Mr Orbán and his Fidesz party and plan to vote for change, the long-serving prime minister remains deeply popular among large parts of Hungarian society — particularly among older voters and those in the smallest settlements.
You can read the full report below:
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 09:30
Hungarians 'write history' in election that Tisza will win, opposition leader says
Hungarians will write history at an election on Sunday when they choose "between East and West" and the opposition Tisza party will win the vote, party leader Peter Magyar told reporters after casting his vote at a Budapest polling station.
Mr Magyar said that every vote counts in the parliamentary election that could bring record turnout. He also urged people to report any irregularities they encounter during the voting, adding that "election fraud is a very serious crime".
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 09:00
Who is Viktor Orban?
As polls open in Hungary, Viktor Orban is facing losing his grip on power after 16 years.
The 62-year-old first broke out in Hungarian politics in 1988 as a founding member of the anticommunist Federation of Young Democrats (Fidesz).
He later went on to lead the party, and became prime minister for the first time in 1998. He was ousted in 2002, but later returned as leader of Fidesz.
After the party won an overwhelming majority in the April 2010 elections, Mr Orban returned to power and pushed through a new constitution with conservative moral and religious themes.
He is now known for his staunch anti-immigration stance and ties to Russia’s Vladimir Putin. He has continually refused to aid Ukraine in its war with Russia.
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 08:30
'I am here to win,' says Hungary's Orban after voting in election
Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said he was "here to win" after casting his vote in the country's parliamentary election at a polling station in Budapest this morning.
Nicole Wootton-Cane12 April 2026 08:15
