The last laugh of Viktor Orban | Euractiv

SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR, Hungary – Viktor Orbán does not look like a man on the verge of defeat.

The Hungarian prime minister was in a cheerful mood on Friday evening as he took to the stage in a blue bomber jacket at a campaign rally in the small town of Székesfehervár, his hometown, 65 km from Budapest.

Beyond the packed, chilly square, signs are mounting of a potential political earthquake that could shatter Orbán’s 16-year grip on Hungary: independent surveys suggest His rival Péter Magyar may win, internal cracks are appearing in his Fidesz party, and he has sometimes appeared shocked by protesters disrupting rallies.

Yet at his final campaign stop outside Budapest, ahead of Sunday’s vote, Orbán appeared so calm he could almost have been on his feet. His political offering combines fear – impending war, Ukrainian meddling, wasteful Brussels bureaucrats – with paternal jokes.

The crowd of hundreds of mostly older Hungarians, modestly dressed, waving national flags, struck him.

“They say we’ve been in power for a long time. But that’s like telling a carpenter that he’s been a carpenter for a long time. The longer he’s at it, the better, right?” he asked with a smile and a laugh.

He hit one the people sang for the river Tisza – also the name of the opposition party – pointing out it just flows down. “So be it!” he said.

The older ladies around me laughed reverently, beaming at him with a kind of maternal pride as he talked about getting push-up tips from Arnold Schwarzenegger, or quoting the movie Rocky.

Orbán’s popular and down-to-earth charm has been key to his staying power, especially in rural parts of the country where so-called “Orban’s hidden voter” – which eludes pollsters only to show up en masse at the ballot box – is usually hidden.

Projecting calm reinforces his argument that he has seen it all before and remains the defender Hungary need at a time like this. Fidesz is the “safe choice”, campaign posters say, especially in a dangerous world filled with rogue Ukrainians plotting to interfere in domestic politics, drag Hungarian families into a bloody war and tempt the EU to pour billions into an unwinnable conflict.

“The choice before us is really who should form a government. Zelenskyy or me. Of these two, my suggestion is that you better choose me,” he told the crowd.

The cultured intellectual Orbán — who famously sets aside an entire day a week to read books — knows the things he says are nonsense, said a veteran Hungarian conservative who has known Orbán for decades. Euractiv.

But he tells her anyway because texting discipline works. He sees himself as a soldier who says what is required to stay in power, the person added.

For some, the narrative still resonates. “I think Orbán is the perfect person (because of) war, conflicts or inflation, or the US-Iran war,” said Ádám, 21, who works at the restaurant in the square where the rally was held, though he added that he would probably not vote on Sunday.

At Cafe Frei, fresh from the rally, Annamária and her husband praised Orbán’s belief in “Hungarian values” and the importance of the family for national cohesion. “Péter (Magyar) is a young person who has no experience,” she said.

“People who love Orban think he is a messiah, a person who will save you from the world, big brother,” said Jószef Nagy, a 39-year-old IT worker. “But just look at the economy, the forint and the euro, and compare us to our neighbours,” he said.

“We’ve heard it a million times. The enemy is Ukraine, (George) Soros, or Brussels. Bullshit, just say something new, that’s boring.” he said.

The smiling faces around the square showed that the old jokes, however, have a certain potency. Viktor Orbán may yet have the last laugh.

Matyas Varga contributed reporting.

(cs)