Four parties reached the 5% threshold for parliamentary representation in the first round of Hungary’s general election on April 11. Two of them had never made it into Parliament before: The far-right Jobbik, which took 16.67% of the vote, and the green Politics Can Be Different (LMP) party, which gained 7.48%.


On the regional-list vote, more than one quarter of voters cast ballots for a party that was not present in the outgoing parliament. This is more than double the rate in any of the past four parliamentary elections.

The last decade saw an increase in distrust toward the political elite. This intensified demand for new political forces that haven’t yet had the chance yet to disappoint their supporters. It also boosted demand for radical policies.