As record numbers of Hungarians head to the polls, the EU is preparing for two scenarios: continued obstruction under Orbán or a victory for Magyar that could reset relations, though Brussels remains cautious about both.
Welcome to our live coverage of Hungary’s elections, what some are calling the most consequential vote in the country in decades.
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And it appears Hungarians themselves recognise the importance of the vote. At around 3:00 pm local time, the election commission reported a voter turnout of just over 66%, a record high and a 10% increase on the last election four years ago.
The election is significant as it could signal the end of the 16-year premiership of Viktor Orbán, the nationalist leader of the hard-right party, Fidesz.
European Union officials are quietly preparing for every possible outcome, from a continued stand-off with Orbán to a cautious reset under opposition leader Péter Magyar who heads the Tisza party.
Orbán has long been a thorn in Brussels' side, frequently using, or threatening to use, his veto power to a degree that now threatens the system from within.
Most recently, in March, he blocked a previously agreed €90 billion loan for Ukraine over a dispute involving the Druzhba pipeline.
Magyar, who founded the Tisza Party two years ago, has pledged to restore Hungary's broken ties with the EU and NATO, a promise welcomed in Brussels.
Tisza is leading in most opinion polls but Magyar is far from a pro-European liberal in the classical sense of the term.
Stay with us throughout the night as our colleagues in Hungary and Belgium track the latest developments and bring you everything you need to know.
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Election commission reports record high voter turnout
By 5:00 pm local time, just over 74% of eligible voters had cast their votes, making it a record high and a significant increase on the 62% at the last election four years ago.
Incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbán expressed his happiness at the high turnout after casting his vote in Budapest. "I came to win," he said, and urged everyone to vote.
After casting his vote, opposition leader Péter Magyar said that he was certain that his Tisza party would win and that he believed there would be a change at the top of Hungarian politics.
Oppostion supporters gather in central Budapest
Party started to gather in central Budapest, at Batthyány Square, Euronews correspondent Zoltán Siposhegyi reported.
Government accuses oppostion of electoral fraud
Balázs Orbán, the political adviser to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán (no relation), accused the opposition of fraud and preparing acts of violence.
In a social media post, he said they had received numerous complaints and reports of Tisza activists acting aggressively, threatening voters, using drone surveillance and carrying weapons to polling stations.
He also accused the opposition of attempting to bribe voters.
"We will keep Hungary's peace," Balázs Orbán said.
Elections in Hungary: What do the polls say?
Hungary's parliamentary election is shaping up to be the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán during his 16 years in charge of government.
Polling agencies continue to show significantly different outcomes, with overall trends over time favouring the opposition Tisza Party.
Horváth Ferenc has the full report below.
Elections in Hungary: What do the polls say?
Medián, currently considered among the most accurate pollsters in Hungary, predicts a two-thirds majority in parliament for opposition party Tisza. Most other…
Fact-checking JD Vance's claims that Brussels is 'harming Hungary'
Just days before the Sunday vote, US Vice-President JD Vance travelled to Hungary to endorse Orbán and critique the EU.
Vance, giving a press conference beside Orbán, made a number of claims about the European Union, accusing it of "trying to destroy" Hungary's economy, sabotaging the country's energy independence and "driving up costs for Hungarian consumers."
He didn't hold back as he accused the EU of "one of the worst examples of election interference I have ever seen or ever even read about" during his trip to Budapest.
But several of Vance's claims are misleading. Euronews' fact-checking team, The Cube, looked at the three biggest ones.
Fact-checking JD Vance's claims that Brussels is 'harming Hungary'
Is Brussels crippling the Hungarian economy and making Budapest less energy independent? JD Vance’s speech in Budapest makes several misleading claims. #TheCube
Magyar calls for calm and rejects claims of preparing violence
Opposition leader Péter Magyar released a statement on Sunday denying allegations that his Tisza Party was planning violence in the event of an election defeat.
The warnings came after government spokesman Zoltán Kovács noted that Tisza's election-night event was being held close to parliament and the prime minister's office, suggesting that "a short walk is all it takes to move a crowd from 'watching results' to 'taking action'."
Several pro-government commentators also cautioned that Fidesz's victory could trigger unrest.
Magyar dismissed the claims outright. "It is a common Fidesz scare story and lie that anyone is preparing for violent protests or building occupations after the vote," he said.
“We are living in the final hours of Orbán's rule: let's bid them farewell calmly and with dignity, and tomorrow let's start reuniting the nation” Péter Magyar said in a press release.
Honfitársaim,
— Magyar Péter (Ne féljetek) (@magyarpeterMP) April 12, 2026
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Kérlek, ha még nem voltál szavazni, akkor 19 óráig mindenképp menj el, mert tényleg minden szavazat számít. És győzd meg erről a… pic.twitter.com/aeQHhzZEEC
Orbán urges supporters to vote, warning Hungary's peace hinges on single ballot
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán urged his supporters to vote on Sunday, warning that the country's peace and security could depend on a single ballot.
"It's a decision we cannot undo. We have to defend Hungary!" Orbán wrote in a social media post published in the afternoon.
Throughout the campaign, Orbán had accused the opposition Tisza Party of seeking to drag Hungary into war and of acting in foreign interests, allegations the party and its leader, Péter Magyar, have firmly rejected.
From insider to rival: how Magyar became Orbán's most serious challenger in 16 years
In just two years, Péter Magyar has grown from a virtually unknown figure in Hungarian politics to becoming the biggest threat to the Fidesz Party - his former political home - and its 16-year uninterrupted stretch in government.
Magyar burst into prominence in 2024 as the government faced a presidential pardon scandal that involved a child abuser's accomplice.
Prior to that, he was raised in a conservative family and was anything but an outsider when it came to the politics of of Fidesz.
You can check out Zoltan Siposhegyi’s profile of the man who could be Hungary’s next PM below.
Insider to rival: how Magyar became Orbán's most serious challenger
Just a few years ago, Péter Magyar was an insider within the ruling Fidesz elite in Hungary. This Sunday, he goes into an election that could see him oust Orbá…
Viktor Orbán: From student dissident to Europe's most polarising leader
Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has governed Hungary for nearly 16 years, reshaping its institutions, challenging EU norms and positioning himself as the leading voice of nationalist conservatism on the continent.
His trajectory from liberal student activist to self-described champion of "illiberal democracy," is one of the most striking — and polarising — political reinventions in post-communist central and eastern Europe.
Gábor Tanács has this profile of the man who could be Hungary’s outgoing PM.
Viktor Orbán: From young dissident to Europe's most polarising leader
Viktor Orbán rose from liberal student activist to a self-professed illiberal, reshaping Hungary’s rule, foreign policy and relations with the EU and Russia. #…