Hungarians vote in elections on Sunday that could see the end of hard right nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s more than 15 year rule. Opinion polls show Orbán’s Fidesz party trailing 45-year-old Péter Magyar’s centre-right opposition Tisza party.
Surveys indicate Orbán’s ruling Fidesz party is trailing the centre-right Tisza party led by Péter Magyar, a 45-year-old former ally who broke away from Fidesz in 2024 following a presidential pardon scandal.
The vote is being closely watched by officials in European Union institutions in Brussels, with whom Orbán has repeatedly clashed over concerns about democratic standards in the country of 9.6 million people.
Orbán, who has maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, has also been at odds with EU partners over his veto of €90bn ($105bn) in aid to Ukraine, linked to disputes over Russian energy supplies.
The 62-year-old has framed the election as a choice between "war and peace". During the campaign, government messaging has warned that Magyar would draw Hungary into Russia’s war in Ukraine, an accusation he strongly rejects.
Orbán has received public backing from allies of Donald Trump, including a recent visit to Budapest by Vice President JD Vance. He has also drawn support from the Kremlin and far-right leaders across Europe.
However, his campaign has been challenged by media reports alleging government links with Moscow. Orbán denies any wrongdoing, saying his priority is to protect Hungary’s national identity, traditional Christian values and security.
Meanwhile, Magyar has tapped into discontent over alleged state corruption and falling living standards.
Polling stations opened at 06:00 local time (04:00 GMT) and are due to close at 19:00 (17:00 GMT), with voters choosing representatives for the 199-seat parliament.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
The U.S. has launched a fresh wave of strikes on Iran, targeting Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) sites as Tehran retaliated against U.S. positions across the region, while Iranian officials said at least five people were killed and dozens wounded at a wedding near Sirik.
The Iranian Health Ministry said at least 18 people were killed and 142 others injured in U.S. airstrikes carried out between 30 August and 2 September.
The European Union's foreign policy chief Kaia Kallas says the bloc will tighten enforcement of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine. EU foreign ministers were meeting in Ireland following renewed Russian strikes on cities across Ukraine.
Start your day informed with the AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top stories for the 3rd of September, covering the latest developments.
A Russian court on Thursday imposed restrictions on Lida Moniava, the founder of a children’s hospice, who is accused of spreading false information about the Russian military’s actions in Ukraine.
China’s state-owned shipping giant COSCO has used concealed equipment aboard some of its vessels to collect intelligence on military communications near the coastlines of countries including the U.S., according to two senior Trump administration officials.
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed legislation that would block federal funding for universities that boycott Israel, as Republicans push ahead with pro-Israel measures despite growing criticism of the Israeli government over the war in Gaza.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said that he thinks there is a chance of a peace being reached with Ukraine. He told the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia that he believed there was "a chance of finding a solution," to the conflict.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has rejected claims that Moroccan authorities orchestrated July’s deadly mass border crossing into Ceuta, saying Spain has found no evidence that Rabat planned or carried out the incident.
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