A man casts his vote at a polling station during the Hungarian parliamentary election, in Budapest, Hungary, April 3, 2022. /Reuters
Polls opened in the Hungarian parliamentary elections on Sunday.
Incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who has been in power since 2012, is seeking a fourth straight term.
The six-party opposition alliance is led by 49-year-old Peter Marki-Zay, mayor of the southeastern city of Hodmezovasarhely.
Peter Marki-Zay, leader of the opposition alliance, addresses an election campaign rally in Budapest, Hungary, April 2, 2022. /Xinhua
Hungary's ruling Fidesz-KDNP coalition and the six-party opposition alliance ended their campaigns ahead of Sunday's parliamentary elections by holding rallies aimed at maximizing turnout in a close race.
"After four years of hard work, I can tell you on the eve of the election: we stand here at the gates of victory!" Marki-Zay told his supporters on Saturday in the center of Budapest.
He accused the government of economic "failures," such as record inflation, devaluation of the local currency and a high level of public debt.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban attends an election campaign rally in Szekesfehervar, 60 kilometers west of Budapest, Hungary, April 1, 2022. /Xinhua
On Friday afternoon, Orban went to Szekesfehervar, 60 kilometers west of Budapest, and urged his supporters to give a final effort. He claimed the opposition wanted to send soldiers and arms to Ukraine, and said it planned to support sanctions against Russia's energy sector, which the prime minister argued would be "disastrous" for the Hungarian economy.
The election campaign was disrupted by the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and Orban said only one thing mattered: to keep Hungary out of the conflict.
(With input from agencies)