Orbán warns supporters of serious challenger Magyar in the 2026 election campaign

The campaign for the 2026 Hungarian parliamentary elections has officially begun in Kötcse.
Both the traditional meeting of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's ruling Fidesz party and an event organized by the extra-parliamentary opposition party TISZA (Respect and Freedom), which presented its leading candidates, took place there.

According to polls by the 444.hu portal, TISZA is currently five to eight percentage points ahead of Fidesz.

Among determined voters, the lead is said to be even more significant. Nevertheless, observers warn against premature conclusions – Orbán has been “written off” several times, but has always overcome political setbacks.

Orbán called on his supporters in Kötcse to mobilize, emphasizing: “Everything must be subordinated to our common victory … nothing will be forgotten, everything will be recorded, and everything will be clarified.”

Political scientist Zoltán Somogyi interpreted the sharpness of these words as an indication that Orbán considers opposition leader Péter Magyar a serious challenger.

While the Fidesz meeting was only broadcast via livestream for technical reasons and journalists had no access to the participants, Magyar and TISZA answered questions from the press directly.

(sie)