Viktor Orbán has expanded his lead over Péter Magyar in the race for perceived prime ministerial suitability, according to a survey released on Saturday by the Nézőpont Institute. The poll shows that 47 per cent of Hungarians would keep Orbán as prime minister, while only 32 per cent would entrust the role to the leader of Tisza.
The institute asked the same question both before the 23 October commemorations and again at the end of November, during Tisza’s candidate nominations, to assess whom the public considers Hungary’s most capable prime minister ahead of the 2026 elections.
Already in October, Orbán held a clear lead: 45 per cent of respondents viewed him as the most suitable candidate, compared to 34 per cent for Péter Magyar. 3 per cent chose Klára Dobrev (Democratic Coalition), 5 per cent named László Toroczkai (Our Homeland Movement), while 13 per cent did not see any candidate as fitting for the role.
By late November, Orbán’s position strengthened further. The pollsters note that his US visit, recent welfare measures, and strong media presence may all have contributed to nearly one in two Hungarians now viewing him as the most capable prime minister. Meanwhile, support for Péter Magyar slipped to less than one third.
According to the institute, Orbán’s suitability score rose by two percentage points, while Magyar’s fell by the same amount. The statement argues that Magyar’s strategy, centred on opposition to Orbán, has not been enough to convince voters of his governing capability.
Klára Dobrev’s score edged up by one point to 4 per cent in November, while Toroczkai’s remained unchanged at 5 per cent.
The institute stressed that suitability ratings differ from party-preference data, which measure only active voters. Still, the results show that Orbán is considered suitable by 5 percentage points more people than the share of Fidesz supporters in the full population, while Magyar is viewed as suitable by 1 point fewer than Tisza’s reported national support.
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