'We could lose everything' - Hungary’s Orban rallies voters ahead of election
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán urged voters to back his ruling Fidesz party ahead of Sunday’s parliamentary election, warning that Hungary could lose key achievements on migration, energy protection and its confrontational stance toward Brussels if the opposition prevails.
In a message released on Friday, Orbán said his government had built a border fence, curbed irregular migration and shielded families from soaring utility costs, presenting Fidesz as the “safe choice” in a high-stakes vote.
Orbán accused the opposition Tisza party of threatening stability and suggested a change of government could pull Hungary closer to Brussels and deeper into external conflicts. The election has increasingly been framed by Orbán as a choice between “peace and war,” with his campaign focusing heavily on immigration, the war in Ukraine and Hungary’s fraught relationship with the European Union.
The vote on April 12 is shaping up to be Orbán’s toughest contest in years. Opposition leader Péter Magyar and his Tisza party have gained momentum by casting the election as a referendum on Hungary’s place in Europe and on Orbán’s 16 years in power, during which critics say democratic standards have eroded and ties with Brussels have deteriorated.
Recent polling has painted a mixed picture, though several independent surveys have shown Tisza ahead among likely voters, while Orbán has retained strong backing in rural areas and among older Hungarians.
This story is written and edited by the Global South World team, you can contact us here.
