He was in the same party as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban, now he is his political opponent: Peter Magyar. Image: keystone
Hungary will elect its new parliament on Sunday. It’s not just about the future of the country with around ten million inhabitants, but also Europe, Ukraine and Donald Trump. The most important questions and answers.
April 11, 2026, 8:02 p.mApr 11, 2026, 9:02 p.m
How do elections work in Hungary?
The Hungarians will vote on Sunday 199 members of the national parliament. To do this, they go to the ballot box. Only those who do not have a residential address in the country can vote by post.
In the election, those eligible to vote cast their ballots two lists a. With the first list you choose your preferred candidates in your constituency. Whoever receives the most votes is elected for their constituency. 106 seats will be allocated this way. With the second list, people vote for a national party. How many seats a party receives is measured by its proportional strength across the entire country. The relative strength of a party is decisive for the distribution of the other 93 seats.
Parliament then elects the Prime Minister at the constituent session. The majority of MPs’ votes are required for the election.
However, it is questionable whether it will be known what the Hungarian parliament looks like during the course of Sunday. In certain constituencies there could be delays due to objections.
Who are the main protagonists of the election?
The two politicians in focus on Sunday are the current Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his challenger Peter Magyar.
Viktor Orban (62) has ruled Hungary since 2010. His party is the right-wing populist one Fidesz. It is critical of migration, has conservative values and rejects the EU in its current form. With the party, Orban has brought the media and the judiciary under his control and restructured the electoral system to his own advantage. Before becoming prime minister, Orban was opposition leader. He was in power once before between 1998 and 2002, when he was the youngest prime minister in Hungary’s history.
Peter Magyar (45) is with his Tisza the main rival of Viktor Orban. He comes from a Budapest family of lawyers and was himself a member of Fidesz. His ex-wife Judit Varga served as Orban’s justice minister. Magyar gained notoriety in 2024 with a Facebook post critical of Fidesz after the pardon of a children’s home director caused a scandal. During the election campaign, he and his Tisza promised to modernize the dilapidated infrastructure, fight corruption and get rid of frozen EU funds. There are overlaps with Fidesz on migration and social policy issues, especially since Tisza is also a conservative party.
Can Peter Magyar win the election?
Depends on what counts as an election victory. It is possible that Tisza will win a majority in parliament – the polls show Magyar’s party clearly ahead. The victory is there, although Fidesz has restructured the electoral system to its own advantage: the constituencies are tailored in such a way that rural areas, where Fidesz is strong, have gained political weight. In Budapest, however, a reduction in the number of constituencies was decided in December 2024. In an interview with watson, political scientist Zoltan Tibor Pallinger appreciates that for a majority, Tisza needs a lead of at least around three to four percent in the party list votes.
However, a majority does not mean that Tisza can really change course. Fidesz has built various hurdles into the political system. In Hungarian law today there are so-called cardinal areas that can only be changed with a two-thirds majority. However, if the Tisza exceeds the two-thirds threshold, it can implement political decisions relatively quickly. But such a clear victory is less likely.
Could Orban remain Prime Minister of Hungary despite the election defeat?
Viktor Orban will remain in office after the election. Even if Tisza becomes the largest party, scenarios are conceivable in which Orban remains prime minister. For example, if no majority for a new Prime Minister can be found at the constituent meeting. If the majority is unclear, smaller parties could tip the scales for or against Orban. If no prime minister can be found, new elections cannot be ruled out.
Another possibility is that Fidesz wins the elections despite fewer votes and thus benefits from the distorted electoral system. Orban could continue to remain prime minister.
Why is the election also important for Ukraine, the EU and Donald Trump?
The election is crucial not only for Hungary itself, but also for Ukraine and the EU: Under Orban, Hungary repeatedly violates basic principles of the EU and blocks decisions in Brussels. The relationship with Budapest is therefore tense. Hungary also regularly opposes sanctions against Russia and aid for Ukraine – most recently with a package worth 90 billion euros. That’s why people in Kyiv should also hope for Magyar’s success. Although he is also not particularly friendly towards the EU and Ukraine, he would specifically like to re-establish relations with Brussels.
And there is someone else who will be following the election in Hungary closely: US President Donald Trump. With his idea of “illiberal democracy,” Orban has become a role model for right-wing populists worldwide, including Trump and his MAGA movement. If Orban loses, it will also damage Trump and his arguments. The fact that he is interested in Orban’s victory was also shown by the visit of US Vice President JD Vance last Tuesday. (yal)