Orbán poised for landslide victory in elections despite clemency scandal
The Hungarian left-wing opposition has missed an opportunity to make gains in the wake of a scandal involving a child-abuse cover-up, according to a recent survey conducted by the Nézőpont think-tank.
The survey, which polled 1,000 people over the months of January and February, revealed that if the European parliament elections were held this weekend, the ruling Fidesz party and its Christian Democrat ally would win with 47 percent of the votes, down from 50 percent in January. This would secure them 13 seats, the same number they won in 2019.
On the other hand, the opposition’s combined support dropped to 29 percent from 30 percent in January. In the 2022 election, their joint list only garnered 36 percent of the total votes. The Democratic Coalition remained steady at 14 percent, but this may not be enough to maintain the 4 seats they won in 2019. The centrist-liberal Momentum party saw a decrease in support to 7 percent, securing them a single theoretical seat. The Socialists and the conservative Jobbik party each received 2 percent of the votes.
While the radical right-wing party Mi Hazank and the satirical Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party both received 8 percent support, two newcomer parties, the centrist Everyone’s Hungary People’s Party and Second Reform Age party, each had 4 percent backing, just below the threshold for gaining EP mandates.
Overall, it appears that the ruling party continues to maintain a strong position despite recent controversies, while the opposition struggles to gain ground.
