Wahlchaos in Hungary: Orbán changes direct mandates - what is behind it?

Wahlchaos in Hungary: Orbán changes direct mandates - what is behind it?

Budapest, Ungarn - The Hungarian parliament has undertaken a further advance towards a redesign of the right to vote. A controversial election reform was adopted with the majority of the government factions that Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could benefit from. From now on, only 16 direct mandates will be awarded in Budapest, while there are two additional mandates in the rural area of ​​plague. This change could influence the political landscape in favor of the Fidesz Party of Orbán, which has been partially authoritarian about the country since 2010, as krone.at reported.

electoral secret in danger?

Another controversial point of the reform is the waiver of the output of envelopes for the ballot papers in the polling stations. This gives the opposition to think because they fear that this endangers the secret of election. Critics argue that the control of voting by local election officers is facilitated, especially in smaller communities, which questions the integrity of the elections. Election researchers have also pointed out that the withdrawal of the two mandates in Budapest cannot be justified by the demographic changes, which increases the concerns about the fairness of the choice, as Zeit.de notes.

The next parliamentary election in Hungary stands for spring 2026, but Orbán is already facing a new challenger: Péter Magyar, a former government insider whose TISZA party seems to have a clear lead over Orbán's Fidesz in surveys. These elections could be crucial for the future of Hungarian democracy, which was increasingly restricted under Orbán's rule.