Tarlós Tops Budapest Mayoral Candidate Popularity Survey

  • 4 Jul 2019 8:30 AM
  • Hungary Matters
Tarlós Tops Budapest Mayoral Candidate Popularity Survey
Budapest Mayor István Tarlós holds an eight-point lead over his nearest opposition rival in a new favourability survey released by the Századvég Foundation.

In the phone survey conducted between June 15 and 18 on a sample of 1,000 voting-age adults, Tarlós had a 51% favourability rating.

Of the opposition candidates, 43% had a favourable opinion of Olga Kálmán, who was the Democratic Coalition’s (DK) candidate in an opposition primary to select a single challenger for Tarlós in the autumn municipal election.

Gergely Karácsony, the candidate of the Socialist-Párbeszéd alliance who won the opposition primary between June 20 and 25, was backed by 38% of respondents.

Róbert Puzsér, an independent candidate who did not participate in the primary, and the Momentum Movement’s Gábor Kerpel-Fronius were popular with 21% and 20%, respectively, Századvég said.

The pollster also surveyed respondents on their opinion regarding the possible outcome of the October ballot.

A substantial majority, 68% of respondents, said Tarlós would win another term. Fully 13% expect Karácsony to win. Kálmán and Kerpel-Fronius got 8% and 1% respectively, Századvég said.  Puzsér was predicted as the winner by 1%.


MTI Photo: Balogh Zoltán

Related links

Karácsony Wins Opposition Preselection For Budapest Mayor

No Opposition Candidate Could Defeat Incumbent Budapest Mayor Says Poll

  • How does this content make you feel?

XpatLoop Media Partner

Hungary Matters

Launched in January 2014, this newsletter published on week days covers 'everything you need to know about what’s going on in Hungary and beyond', according to its publisher the state media agency MTI.

Explore More Reports

  • Updated: 'Budapest Will Not Kneel', Says Mayor to Gov't

    Updated: 'Budapest Will Not Kneel', Says Mayor to Gov't

    • 4 Dec 2025 12:00 PM

    At a "Budapest Pride March 2.0" rally outside the Carmelite Monastery, the prime minister's office, Gergely Karacsony, the mayor of Budapest, vowed the city would "not kneel", as he handed the City Assembly's resolution on its "real financial crisis" to a government representative.

  • Budget Crisis Threatens Budapest’s Public Services, City Hall Rejects Insolvency Ultimatum

    Budget Crisis Threatens Budapest’s Public Services, City Hall Rejects Insolvency Ultimatum

    • 2 Dec 2025 6:15 AM

    The financial stability of Budapest is currently at the centre of a fierce political standoff between the City Assembly and the national government. The dispute intensified this week after Mayor Gergely Karácsony and the city administration rejected a government proposal to declare the capital insolvent, an act the government had framed as a prerequisite for offering financial aid.

  • 'Budapest Pride 2.0' on Monday at Clark Adam Square Called for by Mayor

    'Budapest Pride 2.0' on Monday at Clark Adam Square Called for by Mayor

    • 28 Nov 2025 8:34 AM

    Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony announced on Thursday that he had convened an extraordinary assembly for Monday to reaffirm the "true financial situation" of the municipality. The decision will later be delivered to the Prime Minister’s Office in Buda Castle during a demonstration, he told a press conference.