ODIHR opens election observation mission in Hungary

BUDAPEST, 26 February 2026 – The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) today opened an election observation mission ahead of the 12 April parliamentary elections, following an invitation from the national authorities and based on the findings of a pre-election needs assessment mission.

The mission is headed by Eoghan Murphy and consists of a core team of 15 international experts based in Budapest. 18 long-term observers will be deployed throughout the country from 7 March, and ODIHR also plans to request 200 short-term observers, to arrive several days before election day. The core team experts and long-term observers come from 26 different OSCE states. 

“Our long-term observers will soon be arriving in Hungary and will be present across the country from big towns to small villages, looking carefully at the process before, during, and after the vote. As well as meeting election officials, they will also speak to candidates, civil society representatives, and the media, to get a thorough understanding of all the most important aspects of the elections,” Eoghan Murphy said. 

The mission will closely monitor all key aspects of the elections, such as the campaign, including on social networks, campaign finance, the work of the election administration at national, regional and local level, the legal framework, institutional arrangements put in place by the authorities to detect disinformation, media coverage, and election dispute resolution. Observers will also assess the implementation of previous ODIHR election recommendations. Members of the observation mission will also meet representatives of the national authorities, political parties, civil society, the media, and the international community. 

“As always, our mission is fully independent and impartial. Its assessment of the elections is based on a well-established methodology developed by ODIHR over more than 30 years and constantly refined in response to the evolving election landscape,” Murphy said. 

For election day itself, delegations from the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly (OSCE PA) and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) will join efforts with the ODIHR mission.

An interim report will be published by ODIHR some two weeks prior to the elections to update the public and the media on the observation mission’s activities. The day after the elections, the mission’s initial findings and conclusions will be presented at a joint press conference. A final report with a comprehensive assessment and containing recommendations to help improve the process for the future will be published in the months following the elections.

ODIHR has observed six previous parliamentary elections in Hungary, including the most recent ones in 2022. For further information on ODIHR’s election observation activities in the country, please visit: Elections in Hungary | Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. 

ODIHR carries out election observation across the OSCE region. Election observation missions assess the extent to which fundamental freedoms are respected in the campaign and if the elections are characterized by equality, universality, political pluralism, confidence, transparency and accountability. ODIHR’s mandate to observe elections comes from the OSCE commitments outlined in the 1990 OSCE Copenhagen Document, other international obligations and standards for democratic elections, as well as national legislation. Since the Office’s establishment over 30 years ago, ODIHR has deployed more than 470 missions. 

Media note and contacts:

The Mission is firmly committed to transparency and openness in all aspects of its work and encourages media inquiries.

Marek Mracka, Media Analyst: marek.mracka@odihr.hu or + 36 70 799 0588

Katya Andrusz, ODIHR Spokesperson: katya.andrusz@odihr.pl or +48 609 522 266