Hungarians vote in hard-fought election that could oust Viktor Orbán after 16 years

Rightwing leader trails in polls to Péter Magyar, despite support from JD Vance on recent visit

Hungarians are heading to the ballot boxes to vote in a hard-fought parliamentary election that could oust Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power and potentially reshape the central European country’s relations with the EU, Moscow and Washington.

In the campaign, Orbán – the EU’s longest-serving leader – has trailed in the polls as he faces an unprecedented challenge from Péter Magyar, a former elite member of Orbán’s Fidesz party.