Fidesz Delays Premier Pick As Orbán Faces Growing Challenge Ahead Of Hungary Election (Worthy News In-Depth)

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

BUDAPEST (Worthy News) – The weekend congress of Hungary’s long-ruling Fidesz party ended with a cliffhanger after its leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, said the nationalist party will wait until next month to name its candidate for prime minister for upcoming parliamentary elections, as Fidesz trails in most opinion polls.

The announcement has fueled concern among critics that Orbán, 62, could seek Hungary’s presidency and attempt to turn the largely ceremonial post into a more powerful office ahead of the expected April vote.

Sources familiar with his thinking say Orbán could use Fidesz’s two-thirds parliamentary majority to enable such a move.

Orbán has acknowledged that the idea of shifting power toward a presidential system has “always been on the table,” though he said at his annual New Year’s briefing that he was satisfied with the current political system.

The uncertainty comes as Orbán—who has governed Hungary continuously since 2010 and previously served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002—faces his strongest challenge yet from former Fidesz insider Péter Magyar, 45, whose Tisza party has led the ruling camp in several recent opinion polls.

RISING LIVING COSTS

Analysts say public frustration has been fueled by a prolonged cost-of-living crisis, marked by high food prices, strained household budgets and sluggish wage growth.

Hungary has also struggled with weak economic performance, elevated energy costs and reduced investment, while disputes with Brussels over rule-of-law concerns have strained relations with the European Union.

Long-standing corruption allegations, perceptions of political interference in public institutions and growing concerns over media freedom have further eroded confidence in Fidesz after more than a decade of uninterrupted rule.

Orbán has declined to debate Magyar, arguing that he would only debate with what he called “sovereign people,” adding that “those who have masters abroad are not sovereign.”

He has said Fidesz aims to repeat its decisive 2022 election victory.

ORBÁN HARDLINE POSITIONS

Speaking at recent international platforms, Orbán said he had been politically targeted for defending Hungary’s national interests and outlined his broader worldview.

On migration, he reiterated that Hungary would reject EU-mandated quotas. “We will not take in a single migrant. We will not build migrant camps, and we will not change our border protection system,” he said, stressing that Hungary—not Brussels—would decide “who we live with.”

On the future of the European Union, Orbán predicted the bloc could weaken or even “fall apart on its own” unless it adapts, arguing that member states must retain sovereignty and reject a one-size-fits-all foreign policy. He said Hungary’s future lay within the EU and NATO, but only under what he described as “sovereign politics.”

On energy and Venezuela, Orbán described recent U.S. action against Venezuela and the detention of authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro as potentially beneficial for global energy prices, saying U.S. and Venezuelan control of an estimated 40–50 percent of global oil reserves could influence markets “in a more favorable” direction for Hungary.

The campaign atmosphere has further sharpened after Magyar—without presenting evidence—warned that actors within the state could attempt to sow panic ahead of the election through staged provocations, including self-attacks or drone incidents. The government strongly rejected the claims.

MAGYAR ‘MENTALLY ILL’

At Thursday’s January 8 weekly government press briefing, the minister heading the prime minister’s office, Gergely Gulyás, dismissed Magyar’s allegations as irresponsible and offensive.

He added that “several members of the government have noticed that Péter Magyar is mentally ill,” offering no evidence to support the statement.

Political divisions were also reflected in contrasting press events. Orbán’s tightly controlled year-opening international briefing allowed journalists only one question each and no follow-ups, limiting scrutiny from critical outlets.

Several independent Hungarian media organizations were not permitted to participate. A Worthy News reporter is among at least eight journalists on a long-held government black list. By contrast, Magyar later organized his own press conference allowing multiple questions, a format his supporters said highlighted differing approaches to transparency and accountability.

Amid the tensions, Fidesz also unveiled all 106 individual constituency candidates for parliament, completing its nationwide slate under Hungary’s electoral system. Under changes to election law, Budapest will send fewer lawmakers to parliament, a shift that could reshape opposition strongholds.

Hungary’s president is expected to set the election date later this month, with voting widely anticipated in April.

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