Hungary Elections See Record Turnout, Tisza Lead

Hungarian voters turned out in record numbers on Sunday for parliamentary elections that could end Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's 16-year rule, with polls projecting a strong victory for challenger Péter Magyar's Tisza party amid widespread calls for change.

Polling stations across the country opened at 6 a.m. local time and closed at 7 p.m., following a day of unprecedented participation. By 11 a.m., turnout reached 37.98 percent, the highest ever recorded at that hour and surpassing the 25.77 percent from 2022. Later figures showed even stronger engagement, with 80.96 percent in Budapest and Pest County by 6:30 p.m., and peaks of 81.9 percent in Győr-Moson-Sopron county. Election officials attributed the surge to intense mobilization, particularly among younger voters frustrated with economic pressures and governance issues.

The vote will determine the composition of Hungary's 199-seat National Assembly, with 106 seats from single-member districts and 93 from party lists. A party or coalition securing a majority will form the government for the next four years. Recent surveys indicated Tisza could capture 55 to 57 percent of the vote, potentially winning 132 to 135 seats and...