"Free elections are the basis of representational democracy and an outstanding event expressing the sovereignty of the people, in which each voting age Hungarian citizen can make a free and responsible decision to shape Hungary's future,"

- the office said in a statement, adding that the date had been set for the earliest possible day under Hungary's constitution and election law.

The statement also quoted the president as encouraging all Hungarian citizens to participate in the election.

The next parliamentary election will decide the composition of Hungary’s 199-seat National Assembly for the coming four-year term and determine the formation of the next government.

Under Hungary’s constitution, parliamentary elections must be held in April or May of the fourth year following the previous National Assembly election. The exact date is set by the president no later than 72 days before polling day.

Political parties are expected to step up campaign activity in the months ahead, including candidate nominations and other preparations in line with electoral law. The official campaign period begins 50 days before election day, which this year would be February 21.

According to a recent survey by the Nézőpont Institute, voter preferences showed little movement over the Christmas period, with the governing parties slightly extending their lead.

If an election were held this Sunday, Fidesz–KDNP would receive 47% of the party-list vote, followed by the Tisza Party on 40% and the Our Homeland Movement (Mi Hazánk) on 6%.

As indicated by earlier polling, the results point toward a National Assembly made up of three parliamentary parties.

Voting possible at record number of foreign missions

Hungarian citizens with an address in the country will be able to vote at a record 151 foreign representations if they happen to be abroad on the day of the election, April 12, the National Election Office (NVI) said.

Voters will have to register ahead of the elections to be able to vote abroad.

Since the 2022 general election, foreign missions were opened in Osaka, Yerevan, Dar-es-Salaam, N'Djamena, Kigali and Kinshasa, the NVI said.

Meanwhile, voting is no longer possible in Dakar, and in Ukraine, voters will have to go to Berehove (Beregszász) rather than Lviv as they did four years ago, the statement said.

Why President Sulyok Might Have Delayed Hungary’s Elections - via HATC.hu

Although April 12 has long been widely expected to be the date of this year’s parliamentary elections, the decision ultimately lies with President Tamás Sulyok.

By law, the election must be called 70-90 days in advance and held on a Sunday in April or May, excluding public holidays, Easter, and Pentecost.

The earliest possible date this year is April 12, one week after Easter. If that is to be the date, Sulyok could announce the decision between January 12 and February 1.

Presidents traditionally choose the first available Sunday, but political scientist Andrea Szabó has suggested that Sulyok might not opt for the earliest date.

She told Telex that Fidesz may want additional time to roll out campaign measures and wait for their impact.

An April 12 election would signal confidence within Fidesz, while a later date could indicate a need for more preparation.

The latest possible election date under the law is May 31, in which case Sulyok would have until early or late March to call the vote.

The official campaign period begins 50 days before election day, marking the start of poster placement and candidate nomination.

MTI Stock Photo - for illustrative purposes only

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