Rallies by Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s ruling party and its main opposition party, headed by Péter Magyar, marked the beginning of the campaign for the 2026 general elections. The rallies occurred on the anniversary of the 1956 uprising against Soviet rule, with thousands of participants filling the central square in Budapest. Maygar, a former government insider, has surged in popularity and leads most opinion polls amidst dissatisfaction over rising inflation and corruption. The highly polarized political climate, coupled with PM Orbán’s pro-Russia stance and Magyar’s pro-Ukraine alignment, signals potential significant regulatory and geopolitical shifts.