Helsinki File: Elections and referenda

In a joint submission to the Council of Europe, HCLU and HHC highlight the Hungarian government’s continued failure to reform the national minority voting system in spite of a European Court of Human Rights judgment, leaving most minorities without a real chance of parliamentary representation before the 2026 elections.

In April 2026, the Hungarian parliamentary elections will be a pivotal moment for democracy, fundamental rights and the rule of law in Hungary and for the entire European Union. There is a serious likelihood that they will be marred, yet again, by grave violations of both domestic and international standards for democratic elections.

As an electoral body, the Hungarian National Election Commission is unable to level the playing field, which favours the governing parties.

Since the last general election on 3 April 2022, the Hungarian Parliament has passed several amendments to the legal framework relating to elections.

Persistent systemic challenges continue to affect Hungary’s compliance with OSCE commitments related to democratic elections. Numerous long-standing OSCE/ODIHR recommendations remain unaddressed. The most pressing issues cumulatively contribute to an electoral environment that questions the overall fairness of the process.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee participated at the 2025 OSCE Human Dimension Conference. This 11-day conference was dedicated to discussions on the condition of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the OSCE area. The conference provided … Read more

The Article 7(1) TEU procedure against Hungary was launched by the European Parliament in 2018 to assess whether there is a clear risk of a serious breach of the Union’s fundamental values. Since then, the … Read more

The UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association and the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression are working on reports on elections for the Human Rights Council in June … Read more

Hungary continues to deny equal voting rights to members of national minorities, despite the European Court of Human Rights’ final ruling in the Bakirdzi and E.C. v. Hungary case in April 2023.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee’s replies to requests to provide information by the Hungarian national focal point for the FRANET research network of the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA)

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee participated at the 2024 OSCE Human Dimension Conference and took the floor and provided written submissions on the situation of human rights defenders and civic space, on the rights of asylum-seekers … Read more

The 2024 Hungarian Citizen Election Report is a joint initiative of the most prominent Hungarian election-related organisations: 20k, Hungarian Civil Liberties Union (HCLU), Hungarian Helsinki Committee, Mérték Media Monitor, Political Capital, and Unhack Democracy. It aims to provide a credible picture of the European Parliament and local government election process through the eyes and experience of Hungarians, based on the analyses of experts with decades of experience and the personal observations of nearly a thousand poll workers who followed the voting process this year.

Hungary will hold multiple elections on 9th June:

• local elections of mayors and local government representatives,
• minority self-government representatives,
• Hungary’s Members of the European Parliament.

This Q&A provides practical information on the right to vote of NON-EU citizens (third country nationals) in the elections on 9th June 2024 in Hungary.

Are you an EU citizen in Hungary? See this guide.

Hungary will hold multiple elections on 9th June:

• local elections of mayors and local government representatives,
• minority self-government representatives,
• Hungary’s Members of the European Parliament.

This Q&A provides practical information on the right to vote of EU citizens in the elections on 9th June 2024 in Hungary.

Are you a non-EU citizen in Hungary? See this guide.

On 9 June 2024, Hungary will hold elections for Members of the European Parliament, local government representatives, and representatives of minority self-governments. These will be the first nationwide elections since 3 April 2022, when Hungary … Read more

Since its founding, the fairness of elections, the basis of a democratic state based on the rule of law, and the right to vote has been of primary importance for the Hungarian Helsinki Committee. In line with our goals and main fields of activities defined in our statute, the Hungarian Helsinki Committee plans the following activities in relation to the forthcoming municipal and European Parliamentary elections in Hungary:

Hungary held its general elections and a national referendum on 3 April 2022. The Parliament adopted an omnibus bill after the elections based on a package of proposals of the National Election Office. Some of … Read more

On Sunday, more than 1.6 million Hungarians cast invalid votes to reject the government’s manipulative and fear-mongering referendum. The invalidity of the referendum shows that the majority of Hungarians do not support the government’s exclusionary policies. Five days after the miserable failure of the government’s anti-LGBTQI referendum, the National Election Committee (NEC) suddenly realized that the months-long campaign “defeats the constitutional purpose of the exercise of power.”

Our new information note provides on overview on recent key developments following the baseline information note published on 21 February 2022. These series of notes are aimed at those who would like to have up-to-date … Read more

European election observers and Hungarian civil society organisations call on EU Member State governments to honour OSCE ODIHR’s recommendations and second election observers to Hungary for the parliamentary elections on April 3   To EU … Read more