Country now counts more

Hungary changes election rules: Orbán’s party benefits

Viktor Orbán at a polling station in Budapest(Bild: AFP/ATTILA KISBENEDEK)

The Hungarian parliament has changed the electoral rules with the votes of the governing party. A redistribution of direct mandates could play into the hands of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's party in future. Another change is also causing uncertainty.

Parliament announced on its website that 134 MPs from the governing parties voted in favor of the bill, while 52 MPs from the opposition voted against.

Among other things, the changes adopted on Tuesday provide for only 16 instead of 18 direct mandates to be awarded in the capital Budapest in future. In Pest county, which covers the rural area surrounding Budapest, 14 instead of 12 direct mandates will be awarded.

Electoral reform is controversial
The electorate in Budapest is predominantly oppositional, while voters in the Budapest region tend to support the Orbán party Fidesz. Even taking into account the population migration within the Budapest agglomeration, the withdrawal of two Budapest direct mandates cannot be justified, argue election researchers.

A further innovation is that no envelopes will have to be handed out for ballot papers at polling stations in future. Opposition voters see this as a step towards eliminating the secrecy of the ballot. They fear that this could make it easier for local election officials to monitor voting, particularly in small municipalities.

Orbán has new competition
The next regular parliamentary elections will take place in spring 2026. The right-wing populist Orbán has ruled the central European EU country in a partially authoritarian manner since 2010. Since spring 2024, however, he has been under pressure from political newcomer and former government insider Péter Magyar. His Tisza party (Party for Respect and Freedom) is currently well ahead of Orbán's right-wing nationalist Fidesz in various opinion polls.