By Krisztina Than and Anita Komuves

BUDAPEST (Reuters) -The percentages are barely in favour of Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban, one among Europe’s longest-serving leaders, extending his 12-year rule in an election on Sunday, helped by his authorities’s agency management over state media.

With the conflict in neighbouring Ukraine dominating the marketing campaign, the six-party opposition alliance is inside placing distance of Orban’s Fidesz social gathering within the polls, making the result of the poll unsure for the primary time since Orban swept to energy in 2010.

The chief of the opposition, 49-year-old conservative Peter Marki-Zay, who queued to solid his vote together with his spouse and kids in his southern hometown Hodmezovasarhely the place he’s mayor, mentioned he was hopeful the vote “will change the course of Hungarian historical past”.

He mentioned Hungarians had been now deciding on Orban’s corrupt right-wing populist system which he mentioned uncared for democratic rule and curbed press freedom up to now 12 years.

“Now we’re combating for democracy, we’re combating for decency,” Marki-Zay instructed reporters.

Earlier within the day, casting his vote in snowy Budapest together with his spouse by his aspect, Orban instructed reporters he anticipated a “nice victory” and portrayed the poll as a alternative between “peace or conflict”, accusing his opponents once more of making an attempt to pull Hungary into the Ukraine battle, a cost they deny.

When requested repeatedly about his shut ties with Moscow and Russian President Putin, Orban mentioned:

“Vladimir Putin shouldn’t be working within the Hungarian elections subsequently I wouldn’t have to take care of this query at the moment, fortunately.

“I’m standing on the idea of the Hungarian nationwide pursuits, I’m pro-Hungarian.”

The conflict in Ukraine has upset Orban’s plans and compelled him into uncomfortable manoeuvring at dwelling after greater than a decade of shut political and enterprise relations with Moscow.

In line with the newest ballot by Zavecz Analysis, Fidesz leads with 39% help towards 36% for the opposition, whereas one-fifth of voters have but to determine who to again.

Marki-Zay has framed the election as a alternative between East and West. Orban has turned Hungary in direction of Russia, he says, eroding democratic rights and directing the Central European nation away from the European Union the place it belongs.

“A Hungarian Putin or Europe?”, opposition billboards say, exhibiting a photograph of Putin along with Orban.

Orban, 58, has portrayed himself as a defender of Hungarian pursuits by rejecting EU sanctions on Russian oil and fuel.

He has not vetoed any EU sanctions towards Russia, despite the fact that he mentioned he didn’t agree with them. His authorities has additionally allowed NATO troops to be deployed in Hungary, the place public help for NATO membership stood at 80% in a 2021 GLOBSEC survey.

He supported an EU resolution to ship arms to Ukraine however has banned weapons shipments from Hungarian territory, saying such a transfer may pose a safety danger.

His tactical gambit has helped cement his help amongst core Fidesz voters. But it surely has led to criticism from some allies together with Poland.

Polls shut at 1700 GMT.

SURGING PRICES

Regardless of the Ukraine conflict taking centre-stage, many Hungarians are troubled by surging shopper costs, with inflation at an nearly 15-year excessive of 8.3% in February whilst Orban imposed caps on retail gasoline costs, primary foodstuffs and mortgage charges.

Assume tank GKI mentioned its shopper confidence survey confirmed an 11-point plunge in March even after Orban’s pre-election spending spree to help households.

The opposition alliance, which incorporates the leftist Democratic Coalition, the liberal Momentum and far-right-turned-moderate Jobbik events, has tapped standard discontent, criticising what they mentioned was systemic corruption that has enriched oligarchs near Fidesz.

“It’s not a wholesome factor if one political group is in energy for greater than a decade,” voter Peter Adam mentioned in a Budapest constituency. Within the Hungarian capital the alliance seems prone to rating a victory primarily based on a ballot by Median this week, whereas Fidesz has sturdy help in rural areas.

After years of clashes with Brussels over media freedoms, the rule of regulation and immigration, part of Orban’s present marketing campaign relies on defending conservative Christian household values towards what he calls “gender insanity” in Western Europe.

On Sunday, Hungarians can even vote in a referendum on sexual orientation workshops in faculties – a vote rights teams have condemned, saying it fuels prejudice towards LGBTQ individuals.