Hungary’s opposition party Tisza has widened its advantage over Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s ruling Fidesz ahead of the April 12 parliamentary elections, according to a survey by Median cited by Telex. Among the entire voting-age population, Tisza leads by 11 percentage points. The gap expands sharply among voters who have already decided how they will cast their ballots, where Tisza commands 55% support compared to Fidesz’s 35% - a 20-point difference.

Among respondents with firm party preferences, the lead stands at 13 points. Turnout readiness also differs: 97% of Tisza backers say they are certain to vote, versus 85% of Fidesz supporters. Compared with Median’s previous poll, Tisza has gained two points while Fidesz has lost two. Within the group of determined voters, Tisza’s support has increased by four points and Fidesz’s has fallen by the same margin, widening the gap in that segment by eight points overall.

The far-right Our Homeland party polls at 6%, the minimum required for parliamentary representation. The Hungarian Two-Tailed Dog Party and the Democratic Coalition remain stuck at 1–2%, while other minor parties register below 1%. Median conducted the survey between February 18 and 23.

The polling agency notes that recent controversies may have influenced voter sentiment. Among them are developments surrounding the Samsung battery plant in Göd and a secretly recorded audio file reportedly intended to damage the reputation of opposition figure Péter Magyar. Awareness of both cases is high, with 89% of respondents saying they have heard about them.

Energy security has meanwhile become a central political issue. The European Commission confirmed that an additional shipment of crude oil arranged by MOL Group has arrived at the Adria pipeline terminal for delivery to Hungary and Slovakia. Croatian authorities have stated that only non-Russian oil is currently transported via this route, which at present serves as the sole alternative supply corridor for the two EU member states.

Supplies through the Druzhba pipeline - long used to deliver Russian crude to both countries - were halted on January 27 after infrastructure in Ukraine was damaged in what Kyiv described as a Russian drone strike. The Commission’s oil coordination group met to assess short-term risks and supply security. Hungary and Slovakia have begun drawing on strategic reserves, though Brussels says existing stocks remain adequate.

Croatia is examining whether it could legally accept Russian oil shipments by sea under EU and U.S. sanctions. For now, non-Russian crude continues to flow normally through Adria. Croatia has indicated that expanded imports are possible without relying on Russian supplies. Ukraine has signaled its readiness to accelerate repairs to Druzhba and proposed the Odessa–Brody pipeline as a potential alternative route, a solution EU officials view as more viable in the medium term than immediately.

Tensions between Budapest and Kyiv have intensified. Hungary has vetoed the EU’s 20th sanctions package against Russia and threatened to block a proposed €90 billion loan for Ukraine unless pipeline repairs proceed. Prime Minister Orban has accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying restoration work for political reasons, arguing that the disruption is not technical but intended to exert pressure on Hungary and Slovakia.

Following a meeting of Hungary’s National Security Council, Orban ordered heightened protection of critical energy infrastructure, including the deployment of military personnel and equipment to key facilities. A drone ban has also been imposed in Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg county along the Ukrainian border. Orban maintains that further attempts to undermine Hungary’s energy system may follow and has rejected what he described as efforts to “blackmail” his country ahead of the elections.