STORY: :: Hungary’s feuding political parties stage huge rallies in Budapest ahead of an April election
:: March 15, 2026
:: Jozsef Lados, Supporter of the ruling Fidesz partyÂ
“In such an emergency, we need Europe’s best, seasoned and experienced leader to head the country, not an adventurer.”
:: Erika Balazsi, Supporter of the opposition Tisza party
“I expect the country to embark on a path of improvement and these terrible corruption issues to end. And everything that has happened so far, the lethargy we have been mired in for the past 16 years. True, we are also to blame, because we have not woken up sooner. But someone stood up and set us off on this path.”
Orban faces what could be his toughest bid for re-election after three years of stagnation, a surge in the cost of living and a pro-EU rival seen by many as a viable alternative.
Both Orban’s right-wing Fidesz and Magyar’s Tisza used Hungary’s March 15 national day for a show of force as the campaign enters a pivotal stage. Most surveys put Tisza ahead by a wide margin.