Hungary’s opposition Tisza Party holds double-digit lead over Orbán Poll shows

Hungary’s main opposition Tisza Party maintained a 10-percentage-point lead over Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s governing nationalist Fidesz, according to a poll released on February 13 ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12.

The upcoming vote is widely seen as Orbán’s most serious political test since Fidesz returned to power with a landslide victory in 2010, although the final outcome remains uncertain.

The centre-right Tisza Party is led by former government insider Péter Magyar, who has pledged to combat corruption, secure the release of billions of euros in frozen European Union funds to stimulate the economy, and firmly anchor Hungary within both the European Union and NATO.

According to the survey, two additional parties would also surpass the parliamentary threshold: the far-right Our Homeland Movement (Mi Hazánk) and the left-wing Democratic Coalition, each backed by about 5% of voters.

The April election is expected to carry broader implications for Europe and for far-right political movements across the continent. Orbán, a political ally of US President Donald Trump, has repeatedly clashed with Brussels on multiple issues while maintaining cordial relations with Russia and voicing criticism of Ukraine. The European Union has accused his government of undermining democratic standards — allegations Orbán rejects.

Most independent polling has shown Fidesz trailing Tisza despite a series of voter-friendly measures introduced after three years of economic stagnation in Hungary, which has also experienced the European Union’s sharpest inflation surge following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

However, polling commissioned by pro-government organisations presents a different picture. A separate February survey published Friday by the Nézőpont Institute found Fidesz supported by 46% of voters, compared with 40% backing Tisza.

By Tamilla Hasanova