Polls open in crucial Hungarian election

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Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party has filed a complaint against Magyar’s Tisza over alleged vote buying targeting Roma voters, citing an audio recording it says suggests plans to distribute subsidies disguised as donations.

According to Fidesz, the recording features Attila Stefan, chief of staff to Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi, discussing assistance for “needy Roma voters,” which the party says amounts to a potential crime against the electoral system. The allegations have not been independently verified.

The Roma are Europe’s largest ethnic minority, present across Central and Eastern Europe, including Hungary.

Turnout in Hungary’s parliamentary election reached 10.31% by 9:23 AM local time (07:23 GMT).

Earlier, turnout stood at 3.46% at 7:00 AM local time (05:00 GMT) – a record figure, nearly double the level seen four years ago.

Both Magyar and Orban have cast their ballots in the capital, Budapest.

Orban voted in Budapest’s single-member 4th constituency, telling reporters he is “here to win.” Asked about his 16 years in power and any regrets, he replied, “Thank you very much, I’m fine,” adding that the campaign brought “many uplifting moments” and opportunities to meet voters.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban casts his vote at a polling station in Budapest, April 12, 2026. © Getty Images / Arpad Kurucz/Anadolu

Magyar cast his ballot in Budapest’s 3rd constituency in the Hegyvidek area, also striking a confident tone. “No one can seriously think that the Tisza, and thus Hungary, will not win the election,” he said. He added that his party has received around 60 reports of alleged voting irregularities, though the claims have not been independently verified.

Tisza Party leader Peter Magyar casts his vote at a polling station in Budapest, April 12, 2026. © Getty Images / Jakub Porzycki/Anadolu

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Magyar has urged voters to turn out in what he called a “fateful election,” calling it a decisive moment for Hungary’s future and contrasting his platform with the current system.

“The fateful election has begun, on which the fate of our beloved homeland will be decided for a long time to come,” he wrote in a post on X minutes after the vote began, calling on supporters to “change the system peacefully” by voting for the Tisza party.

Magyar presented the choice in sweeping terms: “East or West,” “corruption or clean public life,” and “war madness or true peace.”

Orban has dismissed these characterizations, maintaining that Hungary is already pursuing a sovereign, pragmatic course, balancing relations between East and West while prioritizing stability, economic security, and a negotiated end to the Ukraine conflict.

Reporter Chay Bowes has published an investigation into Orban’s opponent, Peter Magyar, questioning why a series of allegations about the candidate have received little attention in Western and EU media coverage.

Bowes points to claims surrounding Magyar’s past, including his rise during his marriage to former Justice Minister Judith Varga, as well as allegations of domestic abuse, substance use, and erratic behavior cited in past reports and by associates. He also raises questions about alleged insider trading linked to business roles Magyar held, and his use of private recordings of his ex-wife in launching his political career.

Bowes questions why, despite these issues, Magyar has been widely promoted by EU-backed opposition groups as a reform candidate ahead of the election.

Orban has thanked Trump for his endorsement ahead of the election, pledging to “continue working together to strengthen our economies and ensure the prosperity of our peoples.”

“America stands with us. Hungary is proud to be a great ally... Thank you for your support, Mr. President,” he wrote on X.

Longtime Bosnian Serb leader Milorad Dodik has also backed Orban, writing on X: “I wish my dear friend [Orban] the best of luck and success in the upcoming elections.”

Dodik said he is confident the Hungarian people “will once again recognize the strength of a policy that safeguards sovereignty, stability, and the future of their country.”

Both Orban and Dodik advocate close ties with Russia, with Dodik arguing that the West used Ukraine “to provoke a war” with Moscow.

Dutch right-wing Freedom Party (PVV) leader Geert Wilders has backed Orban, pledging his support in a post on X.

“[Orban’s] brave and fierce resistance to illegal immigration and woke nonsense is an example for the rest of Europe!” he wrote.

Orban and Wilders share a long-standing political and personal alliance rooted in their anti-immigration and Euroskeptic views. Wilders’ PVV is part of the ‘Patriots for Europe’ group in the European Parliament, an alliance co-founded by Orban in 2024 to unite sovereignist forces across the bloc.

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Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s right-wing National Rally (RN), expressed support for Viktor Orban, backing his anti-escalation, pro-negotiation stance on Ukraine, contrasting it with the EU’s insistence on further funding Kiev’s war effort.

“What Viktor Orban is doing is very courageous! Peace is the only solution that can put an end to the slaughter of human beings that this war represents,” Le Pen told Konnektivitas Magazine. “The EU wants to continue the war, and the Hungarian prime minister is one of the few European leaders who dares to say no.”

Orban has consistently opposed further EU military aid to Ukraine, calling for an immediate ceasefire and peace talks with Russia, while criticizing Brussels’ approach as pro-war.

Marine Le Pen, leader of France’s right-wing National Rally (RN). © Getty Images / Adnan Farzat/NurPhoto

Meanwhile, hundreds of people gathered outside St. Matthias Church in Budapest on the eve of elections to support Viktor Orban.

“No one – not the EU, not Kiev – will make decisions for us. This is Hungary, and we decide how we live,” the crowd chanted.