Tisza Party widens lead in Hungary, poll suggests

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz-KDNP alliance has seen its recent recovery stall, according to a new poll by 21 Kutatóközpont, with the opposition Tisza Party strengthening its lead as the country heads toward the 2026 parliamentary election.

The survey found that among all adults, 34% said they would support the Tisza Party, compared with 26% backing Fidesz-KDNP. Among respondents who said they could name a preferred party, 49% favoured Tisza, while 38% chose the governing party. These figures represent the Tisza Party’s highest support recorded to date by this institute.

The gap between the two main political forces was even wider among those who say they are certain to vote, with Tisza leading by 17 percentage points.

Analysts note that, compared with a late-November survey, the data show only modest movement that largely falls within the poll’s margin of error. While the Tisza Party’s numbers edged up slightly, Fidesz’s support dipped modestly – a pattern that pollsters describe more as a re-alignment than a dramatic shift.

The findings come with the 2026 general election campaign increasingly underway, and political commentators have argued that a double-digit deficit at this stage could be difficult for Fidesz to overcome, particularly if the trends observed by 21 Kutatóközpont are borne out by other polling.

However, other recent surveys have reported somewhat varied results, with some showing narrower differences between the two major parties, underscoring the fluidity of public opinion as the campaign continues.