Viktor Orbán’s last laugh | Euractiv

SZÉKESFEHÉRVÁR, Hungary – Viktor Orbán doesn’t look like a man on the brink of defeat.

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

Beyond the packed, chilly square, signs are mounting of a potential political earthquake that could destroy Orbán’s 16-year grip on Hungary: independent polls suggest his rival Péter Magyar could win, internal rifts are appearing in his Fidesz party, and he has at times appeared rattled by protesters disrupting his rallies.

Yet at his final campaign stop outside Budapest before Sunday’s vote, Orbán appeared so relaxed he could almost have been doing stand-up. His political offering blends fear – looming war, meddling Ukrainians, spendthrift Brussels bureaucrats – with dad jokes.

The crowd of hundreds of mostly older, modestly-dressed Hungarians waving national flags…