Five things to know about Hungary's election

Key Points:

• Hungary's April 12 election is a critical test of the "illiberal democracy" model championed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, whose 16 years in power have reshaped the country's institutions and influenced conservative movements internationally.
• Since returning to power in 2010, Orbán and his Fidesz party have rewritten the constitution, consolidated control over the judiciary and state institutions, leading organizations like Freedom House and the V-Dem Institute to classify Hungary as only "partly free" or an "electoral autocracy."
• The government's influence extends beyond politics into media, business, and academia, exemplified by the takeover of much of the media landscape and the forced relocation of Central European University due to restrictive legislation.
• Despite regular elections, structural advantages such as electoral rule changes, media dominance, and executive control favor the incumbent party; however, new challenger Péter Magyar and his Tisza party have energized voters by campaigning against corruption and economic stagnation.
• Hungary's political direction has implications beyond its borders, affecting EU and NATO relations and serving as a key example in debates about democratic backsliding and nationalist movements in the West.