Hungary will hold its next parliamentary elections on April 12th, President Tamás Sulyok announced on Tuesday, January 13th, after formally setting the date by decree. The vote will determine the composition of the National Assembly for the coming four-year term.
The announcement follows a busy start to the election year, with conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán confirming his intention to seek another term at Fidesz’s 31st party congress in Budapest on Saturday.
Addressing party members and supporters, Orbán presented the ruling party as a guarantor of stability and security in what he described as an increasingly uncertain international environment.
Under the congress motto, “The Safe Choice,” Orbán contrasted what he called the “Hungarian path” of peace, sovereignty, and prosperity with a “Brussels path” of war, escalation, and compliance with European Union demands.
He reiterated key campaign pledges, including no tax increases, no financial support for Ukraine, and no deployment of Hungarian youth to the front.
The prime minister also sharply criticised opposition parties, notably the Tisza Party and the Democratic Coalition, accusing them of serving foreign interests.
Recent polling suggests Fidesz-KDNP enters the campaign with a narrow but stable lead. According to the Nézőpont Institute, the governing alliance could secure 47% of the vote, compared with 40% for the Tisza Party. The right-wing Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland) would also enter parliament with 6% of the votes.
