During the election, it seemed that Hungary would re-elect Viktor Orbán, Finnish experts who monitored the election on the spot said.
Hungary polling stations in the parliamentary elections closed on sunday at 7 pm local time on sunday.
Read the HS election advance: Hungary again seems to be electing Orbán, the following Finnish experts say on the spot:
Voting turnout was high on Sunday. According to the Hungarian National Electoral Office, at 6.30 pm his vote would have been cast 67.8 percent of those eligible to vote.
“I may never have seen such enthusiastic people in constituencies,” commented the OSCE Election Observer, Coalition MP Pia Kauma To STT on Sunday afternoon. By then, forty percent of the people had found their way to the ballot box.
Kauma, an experienced election observer, served as an observer for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in the suburbs of Budapest. He and his colleagues had reached eight different polling stations by the afternoon.
According to Kauma, there were visitors to the polling station in many places until the queue.
“In a recent place, a colleague dropped 70 people in line. However, the queues have progressed smoothly. ”
Kauma said he sees it as a good sign that people feel they can make an impact by voting.
About the election an interesting race was announced in advance for the Prime Minister, who had been in power for almost a decade Viktor Orbánille there is a notable challenger on offer. Opposition parties from the Socialists to the far right put aside their differences and gave their support to the joint candidate Peter Mark-Zaylle.
According to the latest support, measured on 31 March, the ruling party Fidesz was getting 49 per cent of the vote and the United opposition 45 per cent. According to Politico, Orbán and his Fidesz party would not only win but also retain a two-thirds majority in parliament.
“According to the latest poll, the opposition would have a worst-case scenario. The mood is low, ”says a senior researcher at the University of Helsinki Emilia Palonen commented to HS on Friday.
On Saturday, just before the election, another Publicus poll seemed to have lost its lead over Fidesz.
The opposition has tried to attack Orban by recalling that he is visiting a neighboring country with the Russian president. Vladimir Putin with. The outcome of the Hungarian vote is also being closely monitored in Europe, as Orbán’s support for Russia has spoken in the West in recent weeks during the Ukrainian war.
Orbán himself said he expected a “big win” on Sunday.
The greater part The Hungarian traditional media is under the influence of the government.
“Despite the outcome, the elections have not been free,” said opposition coalition prime ministerial candidate Márki-Zay, referring to the invisibility of the opposition in the Ukrainian media, which is largely held by Orbán’s allies.
Indeed, before the election, supporters were reassured about election fraud and that observers would not be able to prevent it.
“The highest hope is that Fidesz would lose its two-thirds majority. And that also seems uncertain, ”said a dissertation researcher at the University of Helsinki who is familiar with Hungary Annastiina Kalliuswho flew to Budapest during the election to sense the atmosphere.
According to Kallius, the most talked about international issues in Hungary – democracy and the rule of law – are not the main themes for ordinary Hungarians.
“The rule of law cannot heat an apartment.”
If Fidesz’s dominance in Sunday’s election does not change, democracy activists may run out, Kallius estimates.
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