The next parliamentary election in Hungary will take place on April 12, President Tamás Sulyok announced on Tuesday, in line with the expressed wish of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
The right-wing populist Orbán, who has been in office without interruption since 2010, and his Fidesz party are facing their most serious electoral challenge in 16 years.
The centre-right Tisza party, led by Orbán’s challenger Péter Magyar, has been consistently ahead of Fidesz in opinion polls for months.
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Magyar comes from Fidesz’s inner circle but broke categorically with Orbán nearly two years ago.
However, analysts say a Magyar victory is not assured due to uncertainties surrounding Hungary’s complex electoral system and the overwhelming dominance of media outlets controlled by Orbán.