Polls have closed in Hungary after voters turned out in record numbers for a high-stakes parliamentary election, that could spell the end of nationalist prime minister Viktor Orban’s 16-year tenure.
Voting booths closed at 7pm local time (6pm BST) after around 77.8 per cent of of the Hungarian electorate cast their ballots, smashing the previous record of 70.5 per cent in 2002.
With 14.7 per cent of the votes counted, early projections suggest the opposition, pro-EU Tisza party to win 125 of the 199 seats – but it is too early to draw any clear conclusions. Results should become clear later on Sunday evening.
Two new opinion polls reelased shortly after polls closed – but carried out before the election – also showed a win for the Tisza party. Peter Magyar, Orban’s former ally and the leader of Tisza, has expressed cautious optimism over the result.
As results come in, accusations of voter fraud have been launched by both sides. Orban’s team says it will respect the results of the election.
Orban, a staunch ally of Russian president Vladimir Putin, has drawn widespread criticism across Europe for his support for the invasion of Ukraine.
