The elections saw strong voter engagement, with turnout reaching 54% by 1 p.m. local time.

On Sunday, about 7.6 million voters can cast ballots in person at more than 10,000 polling stations nationwide, while some 500,000 voters eligible for mail-in voting have already begun voting by post.

Hungary’s National Election Office confirmed that voting will continue until 7 p.m., with vote counting to begin after polls close and initial results expected later in the evening.

Currently, five parties or alliances are competing in the election. The latest opinion polls show relatively strong support for Hungary’s ruling alliance of Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People’s Party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orban, as well as for the opposition party Tisza, led by Peter Magyar.

Europe is facing multiple overlapping crises, and Hungary needs “strong national unity” to cope with energy, financial and economic pressures, Orban said after casting his ballot at a polling station in Budapest.

He said that he had come to win, but stressed that if opposition leader Magyar received more votes, he would accept the result, adding that “the will of the people must be respected.”

Magyar urged supporters to remain “calm, positive and composed” after casting his vote in Budapest and called on Hungarians to turn out for what he described as a historic election.

“There will be a change of system in Hungary,” he said, pledging that, if elected, his government would move quickly on anti-corruption measures, seek Hungary’s accession to the European Public Prosecutor’s Office, and push for the release of frozen European Union funds.

Among smaller parties, the far-right Our Homeland Movement is considered likely to enter parliament, while others, including the Democratic Coalition and the Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party, are generally considered unlikely to clear the threshold.

The elections saw strong voter engagement, with turnout reaching 54.14 percent by 1 p.m., marking a significant increase compared to previous elections. Queues were seen at polling stations across the country, particularly in medium-sized cities and Budapest, reflecting heightened public interest in a closely contested race.

Analysts described the 38 percent turnout at 11 a.m. as a key indicator for overall participation, with some projections suggesting that final turnout could reach between 75 and 80 percent, potentially setting a new record in Hungary’s post-transition electoral history.

This election marks Orban’s fourth parliamentary race since returning to power in 2010, with the outcome set to determine whether he can secure a fifth consecutive term.

Under Hungary’s electoral law, parliamentary elections are held every four years. Hungary’s parliament has 199 seats, including 106 elected in single-member constituencies and 93 allocated to parties that enter parliament. The party or alliance securing a majority of seats has the right to form a government.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: Xinhua

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