BUDAPEST, April 1 – New polling data from Hungary shows the opposition Tisza party has strengthened its advantage over longtime Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s Fidesz party as the country approaches its April 12 parliamentary election, according to two independent surveys released Wednesday.
The results suggest Orban, a veteran nationalist leader, is confronting the most serious threat to his authority in 16 years of governance, though the final outcome remains unclear given the significant number of uncommitted voters.
According to research from the 21 Research Centre, Tisza – a centre-right opposition movement headed by former government official Peter Magyar – now commands 56% support among voters who have made their choice, representing an increase from 53% recorded in early March. Meanwhile, Fidesz saw its backing drop to 37% from 39% three weeks prior.
The survey found that 26% of those questioned had not decided which party to support.
The 21 Research Centre study, which polled 1,500 people between March 23 and 28, demonstrated Tisza’s lead had expanded to 19 percentage points from a 14-point margin in the previous survey. When including all respondents, the poll published by news website 24.hu indicated 40% support for Tisza compared to 28% for Fidesz.
A separate study released Tuesday by Zavecz Research confirmed the trend, showing Tisza had expanded its advantage to 13 points among committed voters, up from 12 points in February polling.
The Zavecz survey, conducted between March 24 and 28 with 1,000 participants, found 51% of decided voters favoring Tisza – a slight increase from 50% in February – while Fidesz maintained steady support at 38%.
Among all respondents in the Zavecz poll, Tisza received 39% backing while Fidesz earned 31%. Twenty percent of those surveyed remained undecided.
Magyar has outlined his party’s agenda, stating Tisza would combat corruption, secure billions of euros in frozen European Union funding to strengthen the economy, and ensure Hungary’s firm commitment to both the EU and NATO.
Although most recent polling indicates a Tisza advantage, Fidesz officials cite alternative surveys suggesting their party remains positioned for victory. Opposition figures argue these favorable polls primarily come from organizations with financial or personal connections to the governing party.
Both 21 Research Centre and Zavecz Research operate independently from political organizations and collected responses through telephone interviews and online surveys.
The polling data suggests the far-right Our Homeland party (Mi Hazank) may be the sole additional political group to surpass the 5% threshold necessary for parliamentary representation.
21 Research Centre calculated Our Homeland’s support at 5% among decided voters, while Zavecz placed it at 4%.
