Will leave Hungary if Orban wins

Ahead of crucial parliamentary elections in Hungary, voters who came of age during Prime Minister Viktor Orban's rule represent an important group driving support for the opposition, with some saying they will leave the country if the long-time leader is re-elected.

Orban, 62, a Eurosceptic nationalist, faces the biggest threat to his 16-year rule, with most polls showing his center-right rival Peter Magyar and his Tisa party on track to defeat him in Sunday's election.

The media-savvy Hungarian, 45, is proving to be an attractive alternative for many younger voters disillusioned with Orban's right-wing Fidesz party, sociologists and pollsters told Reuters.

"Fidesz no longer understands how young people think," said sociologist Danijel Oroš.

Full-time university students are a particularly important demographic, he added, noting that if they voted as a bloc, they could push a party above the five percent parliamentary threshold.

Growth in the number of emigrants

The number of emigrants from Hungary has increased sharply since the Russian invasion of neighboring Ukraine in 2022, which had a particularly negative impact on the Hungarian economy and triggered the strongest inflationary wave in the European Union.

EU research shows that most of those who move are of working age between 20 and 34 and, although many return, the balance is negative, partly due to what sociologists describe as a lack of prospects in Hungary, one of the poorest members of the Union.

While problems like the lack of affordable housing affect young people across Europe, many are also homegrown, such as corruption or the quality of education in Hungary, which has sparked more protests since Orban's re-election in 2022.

For some, like eighteen-year-old Tamara Pohli, Sunday's election will be a watershed moment.

"I wouldn't like to live in a country where the majority are those who vote for Fidesz or support Fidesz values," she said at an outdoor cafe in Budapest.

Pohli, who has participated in several student protests against Orban, wants to become an industrial designer and says she will go abroad after graduating if he remains in power.

Orban is trying to win over young people

Orban abolished income tax for those under 25 and launched subsidized housing loans with an interest rate of three percent to help first-time homebuyers enter the real estate market, amid the fastest rise in apartment prices in the EU during his rule.

"Even in the shadow of war, Hungary has done everything for young Hungarians so that they can... have a successful and independent life," Orban said during a campaign rally in the southern Hungarian city of Szentes.

However, his frustration occasionally surfaced, with him calling the youth's opposition to his rule a "fake rebellion," or telling them that they should be grateful for the measures his government had taken to support them.

Fidesz, which was originally founded as a youth opposition movement during the Cold War, currently has the support of just eight percent of voters aged 18 to 29, according to a survey by the Median agency, and 22 percent among the broader 18-to-39 age group, according to data from Zavecz Research.

Opposition leader Peter Magyar has pledged to unblock billions of euros earmarked for Hungary, which the EU has suspended because of what he says is Orban's erosion of democratic freedoms. Magyar says he wants to redirect some of the funds to improving education and affordable housing, key issues for younger voters.

"Grumpy old men"

Zsolt Istvan Zoldy (21), a supporter of the far-right Our Fatherland party, who could play a crucial role if he enters parliament, has no plans to leave Hungary, but he also wants change.

"Among young people, Fidesz is seen as a group of grumpy old men who are corrupt and narrow-minded," Zoldi said after kickboxing training.

He said that he was most concerned about the "catastrophic" state of public services, corruption, and Orban's dominance of traditional media.

Our homeland says it would expand student dormitories, launch a program to build rental apartments, and reduce bureaucracy to help startups and discourage young people from emigrating.

However, not all young people are against Orban.

Gergo Farkaš (18) praises the long-time leader's experience, shaped through numerous crises, his strong connections with world leaders, and his support for traditional Christian values.

"He is a true Hungarian leader," Farkas said at an Orban rally in the western city of Szombathely, adding that anyone planning to leave Hungary for politics was practically guilty of "treason."

"A true Hungarian should not leave because of any government," he said. "We will have new elections in four years and then you can try again."