The Guardian view on Hungary’s election: a bellwether contest for the global far right | Editorial

Defeat for Viktor Orbán on Sunday would be celebrated in Brussels, mourned in Washington and Moscow, and would give his country its democracy back

Hungary has a population of less than 10 million and an economy that produces a modest 1.1% of the European Union’s GDP. But on Sunday it will hold the most important election in Europe this year.

After 16 years as prime minister, during which he has https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jun/20/viktor-orban-democracy-hungary-eu-funding">dismantled the checks and balances customary in a democracy, Viktor Orbán faces the most serious https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/03/hungary-elections-viktor-orban-who-will-win">threat to his power in that time. https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/">Polls consistently place the centre‑right party led by his main challenger, Péter Magyar, ahead by a substantial margin.

Mr Orbán was once https://www.euronews.com/2018/05/24/former-trump-chief-strategist-gives-speech-in-hungary">described by Donald Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon as “Trump before Trump”.

In his political hour of need, luminaries of the global far right have duly turned up en masse to support him.

Last month, Marine Le Pen, Matteo Salvini and Geert Wilders made the https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/23/viktor-orban-celebrated-europe-far-right-hungary-election">pilgrimage to Budapest.

This week, the US vice-president, JD Vance, paid a tub‑thumping election-eve https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/apr/07/jd-vance-eu-interference-hungary-election-viktor-orban">visit, as his boss issued apocalyptic threats to have Iran “taken out in one night”.

Risibly, given the explicit purpose of his trip, Mr Vance spent much of it inveighing against alleged EU interference in the forthcoming vote.