For almost 16 years, Hungary has been governed under the self-styled “illiberal democracy” of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, a right-wing populist, and his national-conservative party, Hungarian Civic Alliance (Fidesz).
This regime has been much criticized for eroding democratic norms, with a media that is heavily biased towards the government, and accusations of widespread corruption and gerrymandering.
Orbán has further drawn criticism internationally for interfering with the courts and judiciary, strict anti-migrant laws, and repression of the LGBTQ+ community; as seen last year with the banning of Pride events, following previous bans on same-sex marriage and adoption.
Going into the election, the political and media landscape in Hungary still appears highly stacked in Fidesz’s favour. The country’s public broadcaster has repeatedly aired Fidesz campaign videos, whilst newspapers and other independent media have been shut down or taken over by oligarchs sympathetic to Fidesz, which controls around 80% of the traditional Hungarian media.
Despite this, opponents of Orbán have been cautiously optimistic this time around about the chances of the main opposition party, Respect and Freedom Party (Tisza), a liberal-conservative and pro-European party. Under the leadership of Peter Magyar, it has been leading in the polls over recent months.
If Tisza wins with the constitutional majority, complete regime change is the most likely scenario. That will mean a completely new chapter in Hungary’s political life. In terms of EU relations, we can expect rapid improvement, and that some EU funds will be unfrozen.
It is time to end Orban's government!
