Vance Arrives in Budapest to Campaign for Orbán Five Days Before Election
The U.S. Vice President told reporters he was "here to help" and will address a Fidesz rally. Independent polls show Orbán’s party trailing by 9 to 23 points. Government-aligned polls show him leading by 5 to 8. The gap between the two sets of polls is larger than either party’s lead.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance landed in Budapest on Tuesday to campaign for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán five days before Hungary's April 12 parliamentary election. Vance told reporters he was "here to help," and is scheduled to address an Orbán rally at a soccer stadium Tuesday evening -- an unusual step for a sitting foreign leader to take in another country's election.
The election
Orbán has governed Hungary since 2010. His Fidesz party faces its most competitive challenge in 16 years from Tisza, a center-right party led by Péter Magyar, a former Fidesz insider who broke with the party in 2024.
Polls show dramatically different pictures depending on who conducted them:
| Pollster | Affiliation | Fidesz | Tisza | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medián (Mar 17-20) | Independent | 35% | 58% | Tisza +23 |
| 21 Kutatóközpont (Mar 23-28) | Independent | 37% | 56% | Tisza +19 |
| Závecz (Mar 24-28) | Independent |