Trump’s closest ally in Europe faces toughest test yet as Hungary votes. Here’s what to know | CNN

Viktor Orbán is seeking a fifth consecutive term as Hungary’s prime minister. During 16 years in office, he has transformed his small central European country from a burgeoning Western democracy into an illiberal one, providing a model of right-wing populist governance that has won praise from abroad. At home, however, many are tired of the system Orbán has built. The opposition Tisza party, led by Péter Magyar, has campaigned relentlessly against corruption and Hungary’s economic stagnation. Meanwhile, Orbán’s Fidesz party – backed by the United States and Russia – has focused mostly on perceived external threats to Hungary, such as those that the party says are posed by neighboring Ukraine and the European Union. Tisza has held a double-digit lead over Fidesz in most polls for more than a year. But analysts say Hungary’s heavily gerrymandered electoral system means the result of the parliamentary vote could be tight. Polls open Sunday morning and will close at 7 p.m. local time. Here’s what to know. Magyar, 45, is widely seen as the most formidable opponent 62-year-old Orbán has faced since returning to power in 2010, having served his first term at the turn of