All articles tagged with #fidesz
Peter Magyar, a former Fidesz member who leads the opposition party Tisza, is seen as a possible challenger to Viktor Orban. Even as Orban trails in polls, observers note that election rules and incumbency advantages could still favor him, with Hungary's elite MCC circle reportedly backing Orban while some students view Magyar’s rise with optimism.
Orban trails in polls ahead of Hungary’s next election, but the ruling party’s entrenched power and election rules keep his grip resilient while an opposition surge led by Peter Magyar’s Tisza party gains momentum, signaling a closer race than many anticipated.
Two polls show Hungary’s opposition Tisza party widening its lead over Viktor Orban’s Fidesz ahead of the April 12 parliamentary election, with Median placing Tisza at 51% to Fidesz's 39% (a 12-point edge) and Idea Institute at 48% to 38%; Magyar’s new party appears to be drawing mainly from other opposition voters rather than eroding Fidesz support.
Hungary will hold parliamentary elections on April 12, 2026, pitting long-time PM Viktor Orbán against a resurgent opposition led by Péter Magyar; early polls show the opposition ahead, with voters drawn to pledges on judicial independence and anti-corruption, signaling a possible end to Orbán’s two-decade grip.
Hungary's governing Fidesz party is prepared to approve Sweden's NATO accession on Monday, ending over 18 months of delays and frustration from allies. The move comes after mounting pressure, including a bipartisan group of U.S. senators urging Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to act. Orbán had insisted on a visit from Sweden's Prime Minister to address concerns about disrespect towards Hungary's democracy, but indicated that the dispute is nearing a conclusion. Sweden's Defense Minister welcomed the news, and a visit from Ulf Kristersson to Budapest is planned for discussions on defense and security cooperation.
Hungary's President Katalin Novak resigned over a child sexual abuse case pardon, following public outrage over her decision to pardon a man convicted of hiding a string of child sexual abuses in a state-run children’s home. Novak, a member of the ruling conservative party Fidesz and a key ally of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, admitted to making a mistake and causing bewilderment and unrest. Her resignation marks a rare episode of turmoil for the right-wing party, which has been accused of dismantling democratic institutions and rigging the media in its favor.
A bipartisan group in Congress is drafting US sanctions that would target leading Hungarian political figures tied to the Orbán government, as the relationship between the two countries continues to spiral downwards. The sanctions bill would name former officials and government supporters, mostly affiliated with the Fidesz party of the prime minister, Viktor Orbán. Hungary announced that it plans to leave the Russia-controlled International Investment Bank (IIB), a day after the US imposed sanctions on the Budapest-based institution widely referred to as Moscow’s “Trojan horse” inside Europe. The most recent state department human rights country report noted an alarming level of corruption in Hungary.