Participation in Hungary's legislative elections continues to break records. At 5:00 PM, 74.23% of the electorate had already gone to vote, which represents an increase of 11.3 points compared to the 62.92% registered in 2022 at the same time.
The data consolidates a day marked by massive mobilization from early morning, in which the turnout at the polls has not stopped growing, anticipating one of the highest participation levels in the country's recent history.
Orbán against Magyar: two models face to face
The elections pit the prime minister, Viktor Orbán, in power for 16 years, against opposition leader Péter Magyar, in one of the most open contests of recent decades.
Both represent two differentiated political models, although with a common origin. Orbán embodies a line of consolidated leadership and of a sovereignist bent, with an ambivalent position within the European Union and a foreign policy marked by its closeness to actors such as the United States and Russia.
For his part, Magyar, a former member of Orbán's own political circle, has built his candidacy on an internal knowledge of the system, pointing out its weak points and questioning an institutional model that he considers designed to favor the current Government.
The weight of participation and the territorial gap
With 8.1 million citizens called to the polls, participation is shaping up as the determining factor for the final result. The day once again highlights the traditional division between urban and rural votes, key to the country's political balance.
The electoral system, reformed in recent years, adds uncertainty to the result, since it can translate close differences in votes into broad majorities in seats.
Expectation ahead of the results
Polling stations will remain open until 7:00 p.m., and the first preliminary results are expected to begin to be known from 8:00 p.m.
With a historic participation and a completely open scenario, Hungary faces elections that will not only decide its next Government, but also its political position in Europe in the coming years.