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Orbán unveils Fidesz’s 2026 election line-up, vows campaign on “war, migration and gender threats”
Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party officially launched its 2026 election campaign at a sprawling congress this week, presenting its slate of 106 individual parliamentary candidates while reaffirming Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s position as the party’s prime ministerial nominee. The event, lasting over three hours and featuring both domestic and international endorsements, set the tone for what Orbán described as a campaign centred on national security, migration, and what he termed the “gender threat”.
A mix of old and new faces
According to 444.hu’s report, Orbán opened the congress by emphasising continuity and loyalty, presenting 65 returning candidates alongside 41 newcomers. “At Fidesz, only Fidesz is better,” he said, framing the changes as necessary reforms despite the party’s four consecutive supermajority wins. He insisted that every candidate embodies the party’s core values, which he credited with Hungary’s economic successes and international stature.
Candidates were called to stand for a round of applause, though their names were not read aloud; they later appeared on a screen behind the stage for a group photo with Orbán.
The national list of candidates and the official confirmation of Orbán as Fidesz’s prime ministerial nominee will be revealed by 20 February, though Orbán made it clear there is no question of his candidacy.
Campaign themes: War, migration, and gender
Orbán outlined three main themes for the 2026 campaign: the threat of war in Europe, migration, and what he called gender ideology. He claimed that Brussels seeks to involve Hungary in the EU’s military plans, while also threatening national social and economic benefits, such as pension bonuses, family tax relief, and utility subsidies, to fund foreign conflicts.
On migration, Orbán portrayed Hungary as defending native Europeans against external threats, portraying opposition parties—particularly the Tisza Party and the Democratic Coalition (DK)—as willing to comply with Brussels’ demands. “If the Tisza government comes to power, the young generation will pay the price,” he warned.
Regarding gender issues, Orbán repeated his longstanding narrative that EU policies aim to undermine Christian European culture through so-called “gender propaganda,” insisting Hungary would resist these influences, 24.hu writes.
Domestic and international endorsements
The congress featured speeches from senior Fidesz figures, including parliamentary speaker László Kövér, faction leader Máté Kocsis, and ministers Péter Szijjártó, Gergely Gulyás, and Zsolt Semjén. Each reinforced the central campaign messages, combining rhetoric about national unity with pointed criticism of the opposition.
Several international political figures addressed the congress via pre-recorded video messages, including Italian Interior Minister Matteo Salvini, French far-right leader Marine Le Pen, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Czech ex-PM Andrej Babiš, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki, and Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić. Each praised Orbán’s leadership and expressed confidence in Fidesz’s electoral prospects.
The event also included appearances from regional politicians, cultural figures, and celebrities, including singer Tóth Gabi and a video from Hollywood actor Rob Schneider endorsing Fidesz.
A campaign framed as a “choice of fate”
Throughout the congress, Orbán stressed the stakes of the upcoming election as existential. “In spring 2026, we will choose the fate of Hungary, not merely a government or party,” he said, framing the vote as a defence of national identity and Christian values. He warned that a Tisza or DK government would not only risk war involvement but also undermine Hungary’s social and economic protections.
Other Fidesz officials echoed this framing. Deputy Prime Minister Semjén linked gender and migration policies to threats against Christian faith, while State Secretary Menczer described the opposition as a risk to national security and prosperity. Fidesz party director Gábor Kubatov likened the opposition to a “seven-headed dragon,” vowing to defeat them decisively.
Closing the congress
Orbán concluded the congress by highlighting Hungary’s economic achievements under Fidesz, from wage growth to industrial expansion, and asserting the party’s readiness to continue governing. The final message was clear: the party intends to run a high-stakes campaign on national security, cultural preservation, and continuity, with Orbán at the helm.
It’s another Fidesz election campaign of hysterical bogeymen to distract you from the terrible economy, crumbling public services, paedophile scandals, and rampant corruption.
“It’s another Fidesz election campaign of hysterical bogeymen to distract you from the terrible economy, crumbling public services, pædophile scandals, and rampant corruption.”
You certainly can think about it this way, Dear Larry, or you can think that Fidesz, like every other incumbent party that has ever been in power anywhere on this earth, has a mixed record, and, that so, they are emphasizing what is positive in that.
If The Hungarian Left were serious about ever getting power, they would start working 2 years before an election to blunt strong Fidesz issues – such as resistance to Bruxelles overreach, as pertains to mass immigration, and the systemic sexualization of young children.
If they had done this with Magyar he would be on track to win by a sizeable margin.
As it stands, he is on track to losing, simply because he looks like yet another Trojan horse delivered courtesy of Bruxelles.
The Hungarian Left, the scions of Bruxelles, simply repeated the same campaigns they ran in previous years.
One of my favourite quotes by President Bill Clinton is ‘Continually repeating a failed strategy is the very definition of insanity.´´
Tell us about gas fitter Meszaros” private 57 million euro jet and his round the world luxury vacation he is now on all paid for by the money Fidesz stole from the Hungarian people.