Hungary's Election Race Heats Up as Orban's Spending Pays Off

In Hungary, the political scene is buzzing as Prime Minister Viktor Orban's party, Fidesz, is closing in on the opposition. A recent survey shows that Orban's party is gaining ground, thanks to some smart spending moves ahead of next year's election. The poll, done by the 21 Research Centre, found that while the opposition Tisza party still leads, the gap is getting smaller. This matches what another survey, by Median, showed last week. Orban, who has been in charge since 2010, has had a tough time boosting the economy after prices shot up due to the war in Ukraine. But he's been trying to win voters over with some big promises. His rival, Peter Magyar, is giving him a run for his money. Orban has been handing out goodies like subsidized mortgages, tax cuts for families, and extra money for retirees. Experts think these moves are helping him gain support, especially among older voters. The poll showed that Tisza has the support of 47% of decided voters, while Fidesz has 40%. That's a smaller gap than before. The far-right Mi Hazank party also got 6%, which could mean they get some seats in parliament. The director of the 21 Research Centre, Daniel Rona, said the welfare measures are making a difference, especially for pensioners. But not everyone is feeling optimistic. Another survey by Median found that 60% of people think the country is heading in the wrong direction. The economy has been stuck for a while, and people are feeling the pinch. Even though consumer confidence went up a bit in October, it dipped again in November. The European Commission's survey also showed that people are a bit less confident now than they were in the summer. Orban has been campaigning hard since September. He's promised a lot to voters, and he's also managed to get a break from U. S. sanctions on Russian energy. This has helped keep energy prices from skyrocketing, which would have been a big problem for Hungary.