Orbán’s rural base is still behind the Hungarian leader ahead of Sunday’s pivotal vote

CEGLÉD, Hungary (AP) — István Vároczi, a 63-year-old entrepreneur from the small Hungarian city of Cegléd, says he doesn’t believe the polls that show Prime Minister Viktor Orbán could lose a pivotal election on Sunday.

After 16 years in power and four straight election victories, Orbán is facing an unprecedented challenge from a center-right opponent — Péter Magyar of the Tisza party — who has sought to whittle away at Orbán’s rural support base with months of relentless touring in the countryside.

While most polls show that many Hungarians have abandoned Orbán and his Fidesz party and plan to vote for change, the long-serving prime minister remains deeply popular among large parts of Hungarian society — particularly among older voters and those in the smallest settlements.

“I’ve been watching him for nearly 40 years, I have always voted for him and I will again, I’ve never been disappointed in him,” said Vároczi, who sells handbags and other goods from a stall in the center of Cegléd. “His biggest strength is that he didn’t forget where he came from. He always remained a normal person. I’m sure he has flaws, but who doesn’t?”

He added that Orbán’s populist-nationalist Fidesz party is “the only party I trust,” and that he considers the long-serving leader’s performance “unparalleled.”

Magyar and his Tisza party have found growing support among Hungarians after four years of economic stagnation, due partly to the freezing of billions in European Union funding for Hungary over rule-of-law and corruption concerns under Orbán.

But in a survey released Wednesday by pollster Medián, 47% of Hungarians over 65 years old support Fidesz compared to 29% for Tisza. The smaller the community, the poll shows, the more voters back Orbán.

In Albertirsa, a town of around 14,000 in central Hungary, retired pipe fitter János Falajtár became emotional when describing what he believes Orbán has done to serve his country. Struggling to speak through tears, he said that Orbán had “acted for the people.”

“The decisions don’t matter. Common sense and heart matter,” he said.

Orbán has given pre-election benefits and introduced programs designed to appeal to his supporters, such as a popular utility bill reduction program buttressed by Hungary’s continued purchasing of Russian oil and gas. Retirees also receive a “13th month” pension supplement at the end of each year, with a 14th currently being introduced.

The prime minister has also pioneered a program to renovate small-town pubs and churches, and has abolished income tax for young mothers who have multiple children.

But perhaps more than any of his policies, Orbán’s political charisma, emphasis on maintaining Hungary’s traditions and dedication to bolstering national pride resonates most strongly with his base.

Falajtár, the retired pipe fitter, said he felt Orbán had united the nation, including in regions of neighboring countries where many ethnic Hungarians reside after around 72% of the country’s territory was annexed after World War I.

“We are now beginning to unite the Greater Hungary in Vojvodina, Slovakia, Transcarpathia, Transylvania, and even in Austria,” Falajtár said. “They only took a small piece from us, but it’s still ours.”

Orbán has campaigned heavily on a myriad of dangers he says will threaten Hungarians if he doesn’t receive another term, especially the war in neighboring Ukraine, which he says threatens to bankrupt Hungary and even drag it directly into the fighting.

Despite the sluggish economy, many of Orbán’s supporters believe that external factors — not government mismanagement — are at fault.

The government “is doing what it can for us, for the people,” said Vároczi, the bag seller.