Will Peter Magyar end 16 years of Viktor Orban’s rule in Hungary?

(BUDAPEST, HUNGARY) – After 16 years in power, Viktor Orban faces a growing challenge as opposition figure Peter Magyar builds a grassroots movement that is energising voters across Hungary. Critics have long described Orban’s system as an illiberal democracy, where elections are held but the playing field is widely seen as uneven.

“Something is stirring in Hungary,” as demonstrators, both young and old, call for change. Many say it is now or never to remove Orban from power.

Supporters of the opposition are increasingly rallying behind Magyar, a former ally of Orban who has spent the past two years organising a nationwide campaign. Despite Orban’s long consolidation of power, backers of Magyar acknowledge the scale of the challenge ahead.

Asked whether the upcoming vote would be free and fair, one supporter said, “Of course not. But we will defeat them.” Another added that even in difficult conditions, “we are in trouble, but we will do it.”

Recent polling suggests Magyar could still win, prompting Orban to intensify campaigning with last minute rallies across towns and rural areas. At one event, reactions were mixed. “A lot of people say… he is not good for us. But we live in peace. We live in a safe country,” one attendee said.

Such direct and informal engagements were previously rare for Orban, but observers note he is now under pressure, even in traditional strongholds.

In the small town of Jaszapati, a former Orban supporter, a middle class carpenter, said frustration had driven him and his wife to campaign for Magyar’s Tisza party. “I think more and more people want change,” he said.

Although some voters remain cautious about Magyar due to his past links with Orban’s Fidesz party, they see few alternatives. “If there would be a good leftwing party, I would vote for them, but there is not. So I will vote for Peter Magyar,” one voter explained, adding that the opposition leader is “not completely on my level… not my taste”.

With support appearing to erode, Orban has focused his campaign on security and war. A Fidesz campaign video depicts a child asking about her father, followed by scenes suggesting his death on a Ukrainian battlefield.

Throughout the campaign, references to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky are prominent. Orban, who has maintained closer ties with Moscow and has withheld some EU support measures for Ukraine, argues that Magyar’s policies would bring Hungary closer to war.

Public opinion remains divided. When asked whether Hungary should align more closely with the European Union or Russia, one respondent dismissed the question as inappropriate, stating, “Europe is Christian… Hungary is Christian… Russia is Christian.”

This reflects a long standing political dynamic in Hungary, centred on national sovereignty and suspicion of foreign influence.

On 15 March, Hungarians marked the anniversary of the 1848 Revolution with two separate marches, one supporting Fidesz and the other backing Tisza. At the pro government rally, one participant said, “Mr Orban saved the country… from everything.”

Another attendee said the priority was “to show… that we want to be independent and free… to everybody… to England also”, describing the election as “life and death”.

At the opposition rally, the tone differed sharply. One participant accused Orban of using fear, saying, “He frightens his people because they’re scared of the Second World War. He knows what he’s doing… it’s actually sad.”