How Orbán plans to hold on to power in Hungary and prepares for a possible election defeat

Exactly one year from now, in April 2026, Hungarians will head to the polls to elect a new parliament, which will form the government and the entire vertical of power in the country. And if any election can be called historic for Hungary, then the 2026 vote will undoubtedly be just that. Viktor Orban, who has ruled the country continuously since 2010 and has won every election by a wide margin over his opponents, now faces a significant risk of defeat.

However, Orban is known for his ability to emerge victorious even in difficult situations. Therefore, Hungary is preparing for a political battle without rules. The stakes in this fight are extremely high.

Read more about Viktor Orban's preparations for the upcoming parliamentary elections in Hungary in the article by Sergiy Sydorenko, European Pravda's editor - Orban without rules: how Hungary's government prepares for defeat and what the constitution has to so with it. On the evening of 15 April, the United States lifted the sanctions imposed in January by President Joe Biden on Antal Rogan, the chief propagandist of the Hungarian government. Officially, he holds the position of Minister of the Prime Minister's Office of Hungary.

The previous US president imposed the sanctions due to corruption (which, until recently, was one of the most serious allegations in the American system of values). Now, the administration of Donald Trump lifted these sanctions - not because the accusations were proven false, but simply because the sanctions "do not align with the political interests of the United States." This act served as a political indulgence for Budapest - a signal that, no matter what violations may occur, Washington will now turn a blind eye.

And there is little doubt that violations will indeed occur. On Monday evening, during the only plenary session of the week, Hungary's National Assembly adopted amendments to the current constitution, granting new levers of pressure against the opposition. The specifics still need to be detailed in upcoming laws, but these amendments could potentially allow for the disqualification of "unworthy" candidates from the elections.

This time, parliament amended 11 articles of the basic law, and the changes can be grouped into three categories. The first consists of purely populist provisions meant to rally Viktor Orban's electorate around him. The second includes provisions that give the Hungarian prime minister new tools to combat political opponents.

But this time, a third category was added. Some of the amendments were interpreted within Hungary as preparations for Orban potentially losing office: starting in 2026 (the year of the next elections), the prime minister's emergency powers will be curtailed. Such a move has never happened during Orban's time in power.

It's clear that he has no desire to limit himself during his current term.

However, the very fact that he is beginning to consider the possibility of losing power - and is even preparing for it - is already a highly significant signal.

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