A recount in a Hungarian district election reduced the lead of the Tisza party candidate to 48 votes over Fidesz, potentially shifting the parliamentary majority.
Close Result Triggers Recount
In the single-member constituency of Keszthely, TiszaBalázs Varga received 24,977 votes, while Bálint Nagy of the Fidesz-KDNP coalition received 24,918. Due to the narrow margin, Nagy requested a recount.
Hungarian law allows a losing candidate to request a recount without justification if the difference is no more than one hundred votes. The National Election Office announced the recount would take place the day after the election.
Recount Results and Remaining Votes
The recount, completed on Wednesday, confirmed Tisza’s victory, but reduced the margin to 48 votes – 11 fewer than the initial count, according to Telex.hu. Votes from abroad and those cast outside of the voter’s registered location still need to be tallied.
These outstanding votes will be delivered to the election commissions on Friday and must be counted by Saturday, April 18th.
Tisza Poised for Constitutional Majority
With 98.94% of votes counted, Tisza Pétera Magyar is projected to win 137 seats in the 199-member Hungarian Parliament, while Fidesz is expected to secure 56 seats.
This outcome suggests the opposition will likely achieve a constitutional majority, requiring 133 seats.
Orbán’s Legacy and Magyar’s Rise
Viktor Orbán has governed Hungary since 2010, during which time he amended the constitution and implemented laws strengthening government control over the media and judiciary. Under his leadership, Hungary has been identified by Transparency International as the most corrupt country in the European Union.
Péter Magyar, a former member of Fidesz, gained prominence in 2024 after President Katalin Novak pardoned an individual convicted of covering up pedophilia. Magyar publicly criticized the corruption within Orbán’s system of power on YouTube, leading to his departure from Fidesz.
The YouTube address reached millions of Hungarians – approximately 10% of the population – and spurred the largest protests in years. Magyar then founded the Respect and Freedom Party (Tisza), which achieved the second-best result in the 2024 European Parliament elections.
