Hungary election "not free and fair" says opposition

STORY: The 49-year-old conservative, cast his vote in his southern hometown Hodmezovasarhely where he is mayor, said Hungarians were now deciding on Orban's corrupt right-wing populist system which he said neglected democratic rule and curbed press freedom in the past 12 years.

"All the rules have been set so that Orban Viktor will keep his power forever and keep stealing public money forever. So we don’t acknowledge this election to be free and fair at all,” he said.

The opposition leader has framed the election as a choice between East and West. Orban has turned Hungary towards Russia, he says, eroding democratic rights and directing the Central European country away from the European Union where it belongs.

The election is expected to be a tight race, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine playing a central part of the pre-election campaigning.