Parliamentary elections in Hungary took place normally this Sunday with approximately 8.1 million eligible voters. According to the National Election Office, about 7.6 million voters could cast their vote in person at over 10,000 polling stations across the country, while about 500,000 eligible postal voters did so by mail. Voting continued until 19:00 (17:00 GMT), and vote counting began after the polls closed. Five parties are competing. A total of five parties or alliances are competing in the elections, and recent opinion polls showed relatively strong support for Hungary's ruling alliance, formed by Fidesz and the Christian Democratic People's Party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, as well as for the opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar. Europe is facing multiple overlapping crises, and Hungary needs a 'strong national unity' to face the energy, financial, and economic pressures, Orbán stated after casting his vote at a polling station in Budapest. He noted that he came to win, but emphasized that if the opposition leader, Magyar, received more votes, he would accept the result, and added that 'the will of the people must be respected'. Magyar urged his supporters to remain calm, optimistic, and composed after casting his vote in Budapest, and called on Hungarians to go to the polls, which he described as historic elections. 'There will be a system change in Hungary,' he affirmed, promising that if elected, his government would act swiftly on anti-corruption measures, seek Hungary's accession to the European Prosecutor's Office, and push for the release of frozen EU funds. Among smaller parties, the far-right Our Homeland Movement is considered likely to enter parliament, while others, such as the Democratic Coalition and the Two-Tailed Dog Party, are generally considered unlikely to overcome the electoral threshold. The elections saw high turnout, reaching 54.14% by 13:00 (11:00 GMT), according to data published by the National Election Office, a significant increase compared to previous elections. Long queues were observed at polling stations across the country, especially in medium-sized cities and in Budapest, reflecting growing public interest in a very tight race. Analysts described the 38% turnout by 11:00 as a key indicator of overall participation. Orbán's fourth electoral contest. These elections mark Orbán's fourth parliamentary contest since he returned to power in 2010, and the result will determine if he can secure a fifth consecutive term. According to Hungarian electoral law, parliamentary elections are held every four years, according to this extensive report by Xinhua, taken by the Argentine News Agency. The Hungarian Parliament has 199 seats: 106 elected in single-member constituencies and 93 allocated to parties that enter Parliament. The party or alliance that wins the most seats will have the right to form a government.
