Hungary’s main opposition party, Tisza, has enhanced its position over Prime Minister Viktor Orbán‘s Fidesz party, according to two recent polls released on Wednesday. These polls are particularly significant as they precede the parliamentary elections scheduled for 12 April, in which Orbán, who has held power since 2010, aims to maintain his 16-year regime.
For the first time, Orbán is facing a formidable challenger. The polls indicate that Fidesz is having difficulty regaining voter support, despite introducing various measures aimed at appealing to constituents following three years of economic stagnation.
As reported by the pollster Median, Tisza, a centre-right party led by former government insider Peter Magyar, has increased its lead over Fidesz to 12%, up from 10 points last November. Currently, Tisza enjoys the support of 51% of decided voters, up from 50% in November. In comparison, Fidesz’s support has declined to 39%, down from 40% two months prior.
Median’s research suggests that Tisza is primarily attracting voters from other opposition parties rather than from Fidesz itself. The ruling party has struggled to attract new voters without success.
Beyond the two principal parties, the far-right Our Homeland (Mi Hazank) is the only other party likely to surpass the 5% threshold to enter parliament, according to the survey.
A second poll published on Wednesday, conducted by Idea Institute between 31 December and 6 January, reported Tisza’s support at 48% among decided voters, positioning the party 10 points ahead of Fidesz.
Magyar has affirmed his commitment to ensuring Hungary remains firmly aligned with the European Union and NATO. He also said he will promote “pragmatic relations” with Russia. This stance marks a departure from Orbán’s cooperation with Russian President Vladimir Putin and his tendency to undermine EU policies.