Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend competing rallies organized by Viktor Orbán’s ruling party and his main opponent as they begin campaigning for next year’s elections in a deeply divided political atmosphere.
Thursday marks the anniversary of Hungary’s 1956 uprising against Soviet rule, an event that holds significant importance for the populist far-right Fidesz party. While Fidesz was once strongly anti-Soviet, it has moved closer to Russia under Orbán’s leadership.
Fidesz, in power since 2010, anticipates a record turnout at this year’s commemoration in Budapest, where Orbán will speak to supporters outside parliament. The party describes its event as a peace march, but it suffered a setback this week when a planned meeting in Budapest between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin—touted by Orbán as a personal achievement—was canceled.
As the ruling party’s rally winds through the capital, it will pass by another demonstration led by Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider who has become Orbán’s primary challenger amid widespread discontent over high inflation and political scandals.
With six months to go until the April general elections, Magyar’s Tisza party is polling neck-and-neck with Fidesz. Independent institutions show the opposition leading, while government-aligned think tanks predict the opposite outcome.
Balázs Bőcskei, a political scientist and director of the independent IDEA Institute, cited their latest poll indicating that if elections were held this Sunday, Fidesz would receive 27% of the vote, while Tisza would get 37%. He noted that Tisza’s lead appears to be holding steady in monthly surveys.
A key factor is that one in four Hungarians remain undecided or unwilling to disclose their political preference. These voters are believed to have swung the last election in Orbán’s favor in 2022, despite polls predicting an opposition victory.
On Thursday, Fidesz and Tisza will compete to see which can draw the larger crowd. Orbán hopes his rally will energize his base and attract undecided voters.
Magyar, a 43-year-old former lawyer who publicly broke with the governing party in February 2024, has accused Fidesz of committing “a string of crimes” and using state funds to bus its supporters to the capital, offering free food and vouchers to attendees.
His party also claims the government has threatened bus companies to prevent them from renting vehicles to the opposition. “We must show that we will not give in to blackmail, lies, and threats,” Magyar told his followers on Facebook.
Fidesz’s communications director, Tamás Menczer, denied these allegations, calling the claims about threats to bus companies “fake news.”
Orbán, in turn, has labeled Magyar’s event a “Brussels war march.” Fidesz, which dominates much of the media, has alleged without evidence that Magyar, a member of the European Parliament, is a puppet of the EU or a Ukrainian agent aiming to drag Hungary into war.The Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service are in effect.
[Image: A Fidesz billboard depicts European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen as a puppet master. Credit: Attila Kisbenedek/AFP/Getty Images]
For 15 years, Viktor Orbán has led Hungary with a far-right populist approach, which critics argue has eroded the rule of law and democracy. His campaign focuses on nationalist themes, vowing to block migrants and keep Hungary out of the war in neighboring Ukraine.
In contrast, Péter Magyar is running as an anti-corruption candidate, claiming that Hungary has become the poorest and most corrupt country in the EU under its current leadership.
Orbán has aligned Hungary closely with Russia, while Magyar has shown support for Ukraine and promised to lessen Hungary’s reliance on Russian oil and gas, aiming to reduce the Kremlin’s influence.
Magyar has been touring the country for 80 days, visiting 158 towns and villages to build support in rural areas where Fidesz has historically been strong.
Political analyst Péter Krekó, director of the Budapest thinktank Political Capital, expects the April election to resemble the last two, describing them as “free but unfair” due to the government’s financial advantage over the opposition.
He believes that strategic campaigning could still change the polls, noting, “This is an open race, and Tisza’s lead is not set in stone.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Of course Here is a list of helpful and clear FAQs about the news that Tens of thousands are expected at competing rallies as Hungarys election campaign begins
General Beginner Questions
1 What is happening in Hungary right now
The official campaign period for a national election has started Different political parties are holding large rallies to gain support from voters
2 Why are there competing rallies
Competing rallies means that the ruling party and the opposition parties are each holding their own large gatherings often around the same time to show their strength and rally their supporters against each other
3 Who is the current leader of Hungary
The current Prime Minister is Viktor Orbán who leads the Fidesz party
4 Who is the main opposition
The main opposition is a coalition of six different parties that have united to try to defeat Fidesz Their candidate for Prime Minister is Péter MárkiZay
5 When is the election
The election is scheduled for April 3 2022
Deeper Advanced Questions
6 Why is this election considered so significant
This election is seen as a major test for Viktor Orbán who has been in power for 12 years Its a clash between his vision of an illiberal democracy and a united opposition pushing for a more proEuropean Union direction
7 What are the key issues being debated in the campaign
Key issues include
Corruption and EU funds The opposition accuses the government of corruption while the government defends its policies
Relations with the EURussia Orbán has close ties with Russia and China while the opposition wants stronger alliances with the EU and NATO
Social policies Debates over LGBTQ rights and media freedom are central
Economic policies Rising inflation and the governments control over the economy are major topics
8 What does the large turnout at these rallies tell us
The large competing rallies show that the country is highly polarized and politically engaged It indicates that the election is likely to be very close and intensely contested
9 What is Fideszs main campaign message
Fideszs message focuses on national sovereignty stability protecting traditional values and portraying the opposition as a dangerous chaotic group that would drag Hungary into wars
