Clearer than ever: PM Orbán wants to win the 2026 elections in the towns and villages

The latest polls show a significant Tisza lead, but PM Orbán does not seem to give up, and his plan is becoming clearer by the day. He tours villages and small towns, promising aid and saying that rural life should be backed by financial support from the government. Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza Party, is also on a tour but does not concentrate on small settlements. Orbán’s plan can work out since, in Hungary, general elections are won in the rural electoral districts, where Fidesz always gains a considerable majority: opposition parties could not even come close to their popular support during the last four elections.

We wrote HERE that the latest poll shows a significant lead of Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party. According to the 21 Research Centre, Tisza has 500,000 more voters than Fidesz. However, that does not mean they will win since the Hungarian electoral system is not proportional like in Germany or Slovakia.

Rural constituencies decide the parliament majority; therefore, PM Orbán seems to concentrate on them. For example, this week, he visited Tiszakürt, a small village with only 1,121 inhabitants and said the government should provide more help for small settlements.

More promises for small settlements

The government will increase the salaries of municipal employees in towns with a population of less than 10,000 in two steps, the head of the Prime Minister’s Office told a regular press briefing on Thursday. Municipal staff will be given a 15 percent payrise on July 1, and another 15 percent on January 1 next year, Gulyás said.