Local elections – Most pollsters project Tarlós to remain Budapest mayor

Budapest Mayor István Tarlós is most likely to have the best chance of winning the post for another five years but the victory of joint opposition candidate Gergely Karácsony cannot be ruled out if ruling party voters feel “overly comfortable and the opposition is mobilised”, pollsters said ahead of the local elections on Thursday.

At an event presenting the latest figures by Nézőpont Institute, ZRI Závecz Research, Publicus Institute, Századveg and Medián, several experts were in agreement that the scandals of the recent period could have a big impact on the outcome of the vote, especially in Budapest and Győr.

However, it is impossible to tell whether they would make voters uncertain or mobilise them, they added.

Nézőpont Institute said 49 percent of decided voters supported Tarlós, 43 percent supported Karácsony and 8 percent independent candidate Róbert Puzsér. ZRI-Závecz Research projected 48 percent, 46 percent and 6 percent; Medián 48 percent, 47 percent and 5 percent; Publicus 48 percent, 48 percent and 4 percent; and Századvég 51 percent, 43 percent and 5 percent, respectively. Other independent candidate Krisztian Berki is projected to receive between 0 and 2 percent support.

Source: MTI