Hungarians are heading to the polls on Sunday in what many observers are calling the most consequential election since the country's transition to democracy in 1990. After 16 years in power, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party face their strongest challenge yet, with opposition leader Péter Magyar — a former Fidesz insider — leading by roughly 10 points in most polls. The vote has taken on an international dimension far beyond Hungary's size, with implications for the European Union, the war in Ukraine, and the global network of illiberal movements that have looked to Budapest as a model.

At the heart of the campaign is a mounting corruption scandal that has galvanised the opposition. Drone footage of a lavish estate belonging to Orbán's father — complete with manicured gardens, a swimming pool and underground garage — went viral, as did images of zebras roaming a neighbouring property owned by Lőrinc Mészáros, Hungary's richest man and Orbán's childhood friend. The zebras became a nationwide symbol of the wealth amassed by the ruling elite, spawning protest