Fidesz's political myths have lost their appeal; many believe that Fidesz could rig the election

In a recent poll by Political Capital, Hungarian voters were asked about their perceptions of potential foreign election interference, who was responsible for the state of the Hungarian–Ukrainian relationship, whether the West and Ukraine were trying to draw Hungary into the war and whether they expected the election to be rigged. The results show that the impact of Fidesz's narratives is limited.

Perception of election rigging

• The majority of voters from both major parties believe that the opposing party will commit electoral fraud. Regardless of who wins on 12 April, a significant proportion of the losing side will either refuse to accept the results or find it very difficult to do so. Representatives of the losing party could even build a campaign around this.
• Almost half of respondents consider it likely that Fidesz could commit election fraud, but opinions are divided along party lines. While 76% of Tisza voters expect this, only 2% of Fidesz voters consider it plausible. Undecided voters are split: a small majority do not expect this, but just over a third consider it possible.
• In contrast, 19% of respondents consider potential election fraud by TISZA likely. 54% of Fidesz voters fear opposition misconduct, whereas hardly any Tisza voters do. The vast majority of undecided voters do not expect this.

Perception of foreign election interference

• Regarding potential Russian interference in the upcoming elections, 48% of respondents considered such meddling likely, with 38% deeming it highly likely. Meanwhile, 35% considered it unlikely.
• Regarding Ukraine's potential interference, 59% thought it was unlikely, with 45% deeming it highly unlikely. Only 26% considered it likely.
• Regarding the EU's potential interference, 56% deemed it unlikely, with 39% considering it highly unlikely. Only 24% believed it was likely.

Perception of responsibility for tensions between Hungary and Ukraine

• When asked who was more to blame for the increasing diplomatic tension between Hungary and Ukraine, most respondents (46%) said that the Hungarian government was mostly or entirely responsible. This is more than double the proportion (33%) who blamed the Ukrainian government primarily, while nearly one-fifth (19%) of the electorate viewed both parties as equally responsible for the hostilities.
• These figures suggest that the Hungarian government's recent election campaign strategy of demonizing Ukraine was most effective among Fidesz voters. However, the strategy also had some impact on undecided voters, 37% of whom blame the Ukrainian government, compared to 28% who blame the Hungarian government.

Reception of the disinformation narrative that Ukraine is allegedly attempting to draw Hungary into the war

• When asked whether Ukraine, with the help of the EU and NATO, is trying to draw Hungary into the war, a significant proportion of the population (62%) rejected the suggestion as definitely or likely false.
• By contrast, 78% of Fidesz voters believe the claim to some extent, with 67% viewing it as definitely true.
• Meanwhile, among undecided voters, 53% think the claim is definitely or likely false, while 23% think it is definitely or likely true.

Reception of the disinformation narrative that the Hungarian political opposition is controlled by foreign governments and international organizations.

• When asked whether foreign governments and international organizations control the Hungarian opposition, a solid majority of the population (58%) dismissed the claim as definitely or likely false.
• However, there is a sharp partisan divide: 56% of Fidesz supporters believe the statement to be true, either definitely or likely, compared to 22% who think it is false.
• Among undecided voters, 46% think the claim is definitely or likely false, while 25% think it is definitely or likely true.

Methodology

Data collection was carried out by independent pollster Medián on behalf of Political Capital between 23-26 March 2026. Telephone interviews were conducted with a sample of 1,000 individuals aged 18 and over to represent the country's population. Any minor distortions resulting from random sampling were corrected using weighting based on census data from the Hungarian Central Statistical Office. This ensured the sample accurately reflected the demographic composition of the voting-age population in terms of gender, age group, educational attainment and urban/rural location.