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Europe's main security and rights watchdog said in a report on
its website that in addition to a core team of analysts it plans
to delegate 18 long-term observers to follow the electoral
process nationwide and 200 short-term observers to follow the
voting on election day. OSCE sent only small, limited
observation missions for the last Hungarian elections in 2018,
2014, and 2010.
Since winning an election landslide in 2010, Prime Minister
Viktor Orban has transformed Hungary into a self-styled
"illiberal democracy". Controls on media and civil society
groups have put Budapest at loggerheads with the European Union.
On April 3, 58-year-old Orban faces a close race against an
opposition united against him for the first time. His ruling
Fidesz party has a slight lead over the opposition alliance in
latest opinion polls.
OSCE said in its report that aspects of the election that could
benefit from further assessment included "voter registration,
the campaign, including possible voter intimidation and
vote-buying, media coverage of the elections, the transparency
of campaign finances and the effectiveness of the complaints and
appeals process".
It said that during its talks the representatives of state
institutions "expressed their full readiness to conduct the
elections in line with the law, and welcomed observation by the
ODIHR."
"The media environment comprises a large number of outlets, and
is characterized by significant polarization, and an increasing
concentration of ownership," OSCE said.
It said the majority of Hungarian stakeholders it spoke to for
its report said "these circumstances skew media pluralism,
independence of editorial policies and provide a limited
diversity of views, particularly in rural areas".
The Hungarian government denies this.
"The reality is that the diversity and balanced nature of
Hungarian media is a bright spot compared to what we can see in
Western Europe," government spokesman Zoltan Kovacs told Reuters
in emailed comments this week.
The Foreign Ministry said last month that it welcomed OSCE
observers at the elections, adding that OSCE had full
independence in determining the extent of its mission.
(Reporting by Krisztina Than; Editing by Catherine Evans)
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