Orban warns of ‘danger' if Hungarians oust him in elections

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addressed the nation two days before pivotal elections, telling voters that he was the safe bet and that ousting him after 16 years in office, as independent polls suggest may happen, would imperil the nation.

“We are now facing the danger of losing everything we have built together,” Orban said on Friday morning on his social media channel. He said “foreign intelligence services” were interfering in elections to sow “chaos,” without providing evidence.

Hungarians will hold parliamentary elections on Sunday with stakes that extend far beyond the European Union’s nation of 10 million. Orban has built the campaign around his hostility toward Ukraine and vetoed a key €90 billion ($105 billion) E.U. loan for the nation at war. 

The Hungarian leader won repeated endorsements from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump and emerged as the closest ally of Vladimir Putin in Europe as he sought to stymie sanctions against Russia.

Recent polls point to a late shift in momentum toward the opposition. Independent surveys show Peter Magyar’s Tisza party opening up a lead, with a Publicus poll released today putting it ahead 52%-39% among decided voters, and showing gains across all categories in the final stretch of the campaign.

The survey confirms a trend seen by other pollsters, and suggests rising expectations of an opposition victory, though the outcome remains uncertain given Hungary’s electoral system and Fidesz’s entrenched advantages.

Both candidates are making a final push before the vote. Orban is campaigning in Szekesfehervar today before closing with a rally in Budapest on Saturday, while Magyar has scheduled 11 stops in the final stretch, ending his campaign in Debrecen, Hungary’s second-largest city.

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This story was originally published April 10, 2026 at 7:59 AM.