The ruling Fidesz party, led by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, appears to be preparing for a potential election defeat by focusing on claims of widespread fraud. According to Zoltan Kovacs, Orbán’s spokesman, reports have continuously been filed regarding alleged electoral misconduct associated with the Tisza party. Fidesz claims to have identified 639 instances of voting irregularities and that 74 police investigations are currently underway. These cases reportedly involve allegations that Tisza candidates purchased votes or that company executives coerced employees into voting a certain way. Furthermore, other reports suggested instances of “misleading campaign activities” including one case where a younger family member hid an elderly relative’s ID to prevent them from casting a ballot. Despite these claims, recent polls have shown the pro-European Tisza party, with Péter Magyar as its top candidate, leading the race. While voting locations in Hungary close at 7 PM, it is often several hours later that a reliable trend emerges. In another development, information from the dts Nachrichtenagentur indicates that Magyar plans to address his supporters in Budapest as early as 7:30 PM, with a second planned speech scheduled for 10:30 PM.
Orbán’s Spokesman Predicts Election Fraud Amid Hungarian Poll Tension
