Here’s a winning campaign recipe for an incumbent:
Drastically cut utility rates and execute other policies that help people in the short-term but hurt the economy in the long-term. Refuse to debate your opponents. Establish policies for the mainly state controlled media that restrict campaign advertising. Continue to say how great everything is for Hungary and how strong the country is, while the European Union and objective watch dog groups continue to issue warnings related to the country’s trajectory.
Basic translation: Only Fidesz on April 6
Today is Election Day in Hungary. Current Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his right wing political party Fidesz are predicted to be big winners. The far right party, Jobbik, developed momentum toward the end and will retain and possibly increase its Parliament seats. Most of the left wing parties’ efforts disintegrated, imploded, fractured, scattered…you pick the negative word, it probably happened. We’ll see what happens with them.
My prediction: nationalism will continue to rise in Hungary. An interesting time to be an expat in Budapest.
Life: Rebooted 
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We face a similar situation here. Some of the best aspects of these “nationalistic” times are when I meet people who see through it. What do your friends and others say about what’s going on with the elections? Or ,is that not “polite” conversation to be had with an expat?
People talk about it quite easily and openly–friends and otherwise. There was a lot of disdain for the lack of substantive candidates. One person I had just met during my trip to Eger said he wasn’t going to vote because there was no one worth voting for. What about in your neck of the woods?