Hungary: will Orbán be voted out of office in 2026?
Parliamentary elections will be held in Hungary in April 2026. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party have been in power since 2010 and still have a two-thirds majority in parliament, as in previous legislative periods, but now they face a serious challenge from Péter Magyar and his Tisza party. Founded only last year, Magyar and his party are currently ahead in the polls.
The PM won't go without a fight
Dominik Héjj, editor-in-chief of the Hungarian online portal kropka.hu, writes in Tygodnik Powszechny:
“Time is playing into Magyar's hands and he's already leading the polls. But there can be no doubt that Orbán won't let his grip on power slip without putting up a fight. He will resort to any means, including legal ones, to prevent Magyar from winning. He will mobilise the entire state apparatus and all the oligarchs who are loyal to him.”
A referendum on the long-term ruler
Opposition politician Péter Magyar is still a wild card at this point, writes former liberal politician Gábor Fodor on Index:
“Péter Magyar and his party will play only a secondary role in the next elections, which will be entirely focused on the current prime minister. In 2026, Hungarian voters will in fact be voting on Viktor Orbán - and whether or not they want him to continue as prime minister. To avoid becoming a political 'labubu' (a political product which we order without knowing what's in the package, in line with today's crazy zeitgeist), Péter Magyar needs to come up with a programme, a team and candidates.”
What tricks does Fidesz have up its sleeve?
Fidesz could even turn the state system upside down, Válaszonline warns:
“This summer, Péter Magyar had the advantage. ... But that doesn't mean he'll win next year's elections. And even if he does, we have no way of knowing whether he will actually come to power or whether [former justice minister and Magyar's ex-wife] Judit Varga will take her place as head of state - with extended powers. Or whether the monarch [Viktor Orbán] himself will move into [the presidential residence] Sándor Palace. Fidesz no doubt still has a few tricks up its sleeve, so for now we can only announce the result of this summer's assessment: Péter Magyar has clearly qualified for the showdown.”