Hungary election just days away could reshape EU policy, Ukraine support

Hungary's parliamentary election Sunday has become the toughest political test of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's 16-year rule.

The longest-serving European leader, a staunch ally of President Trump, faces his strongest challenger yet in Peter Magyar, a former government insider whose center-right Tisza party has led in several recent independent polls. At the same time, the race is difficult to call as large numbers of voters remain undecided and Hungary's electoral system favors the incumbent.

The stakes of the upcoming vote go well beyond Hungary's borders. It could reshape the European Union's ability to support Ukraine and alter Budapest's strained ties with Brussels and its friendly relations with Moscow.

It also could test the appeal of the Orban model among conservatives in the United States. His admirers on the American right see him as a leader who has cracked down on immigration, fought liberal social currents and challenged supranational institutions while preserving electoral legitimacy.