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Hungary's two main parties MSZP, Fidesz neck and neck in latest polls ahead of April elections
( 28 / February / 2006 )
Hungary's two major political parties, governing Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) and center-right opposition party Fidesz, are in a statistical dead heat with barely more than six weeks left to go until April general elections, according to the latest monthly survey of research firm Szonda Ipsos.
Among the entire population, both the MSZP and Fidesz polled 29%, while both parties registered 43% support among those voters who plan to participate in the elections and already have a clear party preference, according to Szonda Ipsos' findings published Thursday. Support for the MSZP stayed unchanged compared to January, while Fidesz's rating dropped by two percentage points in the past month, although this is still within the margin of statistical error. The liberal junior coalition party SZDSZ registered 5% support among definite voters with a party preference, up from 4% last month and therefore meeting the 5% threshold needed to gain parliamentary representation under Hungary's electoral rules.
At the same time, public support for the smaller conservative party MDF stayed at 3%, meaning that the number of parties in Hungary's parliament could well drop from the current four to just three or even just two after the elections. Szonda Ipsos notes in its study that political parties can still draw on a relatively large group of undecided voters. While both the MSZP and Fidesz have lined up some 2.3 million potential voters each, there are an estimated 400,000 constituents who definitely plan to vote but have yet to settle on a preferred party, and a further 300,000 who have not yet decided whether to vote but are "inclined" to turn out eventually.