About: hungarian elections

Hungary protests spark opposition coalition – but will it last?

Week-long protests in Budapest have forged fragmented opposition parties into a rare coalition against Viktor Orbán, drawing young Hungarians into the streets to demonstrate against what they see as his increasingly authoritarian rule.

Orbán sworn in as PM for third time, eyes 20 more years in power

Fresh from a landslide election win in April, Hungary's combative premier Viktor Orbán was formally sworn in as prime minister Thursday (10 May), and hinted at designs on power until at least 2030.

New Hungary protest as Orbán installs ‘Christian democracy’

Thousands of Hungarians gathered Tuesday (8 May) to protest against strongman Viktor Orbán after he was nominated for re-election as prime minister for a third consecutive term during the inauguration of the new parliament.

Hungarian people want to ‘stop Soros’, Orbán says

Hungary's nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said Tuesday (10 April) that his resounding election win, challenged by the opposition, shows that voters want to stop US billionaire philanthropist George Soros interfering in the country.

‘Victator’ Orbán set for third mandate after rocky campaign

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, one of Europe's most controversial leaders, looks set to win a third consecutive term in office at elections on Sunday (8 April), despite a galvanised opposition tapping into voters' discontent.

Orbán’s party loses stronghold before national election

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's ruling party suffered an unexpected setback at a local government by-election on Sunday (25 February) when an opposition-backed independent comfortably beat the Fidesz mayoral candidate weeks before a national election.

Orbán calls for global anti-migrant alliance with eye on April elections

Hungarian leader Viktor Orbán called yesterday (18 February) for a global alliance against migration as his right-wing populist Fidesz party began campaigning for an 8 April election in which it is expected to win a third consecutive landslide victory.

Orban’s son-in-law faces new probe over EU funds

Hungarian prosecutors have launched an investigation into European Union-funded projects  run by a company once controlled by the son-in-law of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, weeks after the conclusion of a probe by the EU's anti-fraud office OLAF.

Orbán names Soros and EU among those ‘attacking’ Hungary

In the annual State of the Union address on Friday (10 February) Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán listed among those who “attacked” his country billionaire George Soros and the European Union.

Hungary’s Jobbik could thwart Orbán’s anti-migrant vote

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán will seek today (8 November) to bar the resettlement of refugees via a constitutional amendment, but the bid could be thwarted by an unlikely opponent -- the radical right Jobbik party.

Hungary plans further cuts to household energy prices

Hungary's government is looking for ways to continue a household energy price cut programme, Development Minister Miklós Seszták told the weekly Figyelő in an interview published today (18 August).

Hungarian far-right no longer anti-EU: Jobbik wants to transform it

Hungary's far-right says it no longer wants to leave the European Union as the migration crisis is offering populist parties, in resurgence across the continent, a chance to "transform" the bloc.

Hungarian opposition cries foul over land sales

Hungary's main opposition party on Monday (21 March) has branded a government scheme  "legalised theft", after acres of state-owned land were sold to people close to conservative Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

Orbán loses supermajority seeking to replace Navracsics in by-election

Hungary's ruling Fidesz-KDNP party alliance lost its dominant two-thirds majority in parliament after it lost a by-election in the town of Veszprem on Sunday (22 February).

Orbán wins elections, far right gains ground

Hungarians handed their maverick Prime Minister Viktor Orbán another four years in power, election results showed today (7 April), while one in every five voters backed a far-right opposition party accused of anti-Semitism.

Hungary’s good and bad voters

The right to vote in the Hungary’s elections is a matter of being a "good" not a "bad" voter. Is it a surprise that the BTI transformation index 2014 has classified the country as a “defective democracy”, Gabriela Balassa wonders.

Orbán tells Hungarians: It’s me or the post-communists

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán offered voters yesterday (16 February) a choice between his government and a return to a post-communist regime he said had taken Hungary to the brink of collapse.

Russian nuclear plant divides Hungarians ahead of election

Hungary’s centre-left opposition is mobilising support against a deal between the government of Viktor Orbán and Russia to build two additional reactors in the country’s only nuclear central. Parliamentary elections are due on 6 April.

Hungary’s ruling party mobilises diaspora ahead of elections

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán urged Hungary's large ethnic diaspora yesterday (6 November) to exercise their newly won right to vote in next year's national election, hoping they would help to further cement his grip on power.

Hungary repays IMF loan earlier than planned

Hungary repaid ahead of schedule yesterday (12 August) all of its outstanding debt, worth €2.15 billion euros, owed to the International Monetary Fund from a 2008 emergency loan programme, the Economy Ministry said in a statement.

Budapest to symbolically shut down IMF office

Hungary plans to pay back its IMF loan early and called on the fund to shut its Budapest office in what could be a symbolic move by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government to display its economic sovereignty.

Commission accuses Hungary of transgressions

The European Commission accused Hungary of nonconformity with EU legislation and breaches of the rule of law during a plenary debate in the European Parliament yesterday (17 April) in Strasbourg. The country’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán paid a visit to the parliament the previous day.

Brussels and Budapest lock horns

Controversial legislation recently adopted by Hungary's ruling majority has apparently been straining relations with the European Commission since the country took over the rotating EU presidency at the beginning of the year.