Confidence is key: Minister claims Fidesz will get even more votes than PM Orbán predicted

Gergely Gulyás, the minister heading the Prime Minister’s Office, has said that the governing Fidesz–KDNP alliance may secure even more individual parliamentary seats at the next general election than Prime Minister Viktor Orbán predicted last summer. According to Gulyás, internal party polling consistently shows Fidesz in the lead, giving the government confidence in achieving an outright majority.

Optimistic look the elections coming soon

Speaking on a podcast, hosted by journalist Ildikó Csuhaj, Gulyás stated that he had not seen a single internal survey in which Fidesz was not ahead. Orbán previously suggested at a summer event in Tusnádfürdő that the party expected to win around 80 individual constituencies. Gulyás now believes that figure could be exceeded when voters go to the polls in April, as reported by HVG.

He described the prospect of a comfortable parliamentary majority as a “restrained, calm and realistic” assessment rather than political bravado. In his view, discussions about minority governance or a potential coalition with the far-right Mi Hazánk party are irrelevant, as Fidesz–KDNP is preparing for absolute majority rule.

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Gulyás also confirmed that Fidesz’s upcoming party congress will not need to formally decide on its prime ministerial candidate. He said the party has never seriously considered anyone other than Viktor Orbán to lead it into the next election, arguing that no alternative candidate would offer a stronger chance of victory.

The minister’s confident assessment contrasts with recent polling by independent research institutes. Several non-government-affiliated surveys suggest that while Fidesz has strengthened slightly since the summer, the opposition Tisza Party continues to hold a clear lead.

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Independent studies show different results

A recent poll by the 21 Research Centre indicated that Tisza enjoys a sizeable advantage across multiple voter categories, a gap that well-known political analyst Gábor Török has described as difficult to close just months before an election.

Gulyás also addressed controversial remarks he made earlier about Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza Party, whom he previously described in strong terms during a government press briefing. Defending his language, Gulyás argued that his characterisation reflected what he sees as irrational claims made by Magyar, including allegations directed at the prime minister during the campaign.

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Gulyás denies being close friends with Péter Magyar

Downplaying reports of a former close friendship between them, Gulyás said their relationship has been exaggerated. As Telex writes, while they knew each other at university and were on friendly terms for a period, he stressed that they have not been close for a long time and that he feels no emotional connection to Magyar’s rise in politics.

Although initially dismissive of the idea of debating the Tisza leader, Gulyás ultimately said that if Magyar felt a debate was necessary, he was free to challenge him publicly, even though Péter Magyar already claimed several times that he is only willing to debate Viktor Orbán, as he is his challenger.