Hungary parliamentary elections and referendum 2022: ODIHR election observation mission final report

The parliamentary elections and referendum in Hungary were well run, but marred by the absence of a level playing field. While contestants were largely able to campaign freely, there was a pervasive overlap between ruling coalition and government messaging and activities. Candidate registration was inclusive, offering voters distinct alternatives, but biased news coverage limited voters’ opportunity to make an informed choice.

These are some of the main conclusions after the 2022 parliamentary elections and referendum, as detailed in the final report published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).The report offers 30 recommendations to improve the conduct of elections and support efforts to bring them further in line with commitments made by all OSCE countries, as well as other international obligations and standards for democratic elections.

Key recommendations include:

• Revising the legal framework for elections and referendums to ensure better compliance with OSCE commitments and international standards;
• Reviewing the legal framework for combating the misuse of administrative resources, including the misuse of public office, to ensure a level playing field for all contestants;
• Revising the electoral dispute resolution framework to guarantee that all voters have effective means to appeal against administrative decisions;
• Providing for observation of all stages of the electoral process by citizen observers;
• Bringing the legal framework for defining constituency boundaries in line with international standards and good practice to guarantee the equality of the vote;
• Revising the law to require public and private broadcast media to cover the election campaign fairly and impartially, and ensuring the media have access to public information;
• Harmonizing voter registration and out-of-country voting procedures for all citizens abroad.

The ODIHR Election Observation Mission for the 3 April 2022 parliamentary elections and referendum took up its work on 24 February 2022 and remained in country until 15 April.

All 57 countries across the OSCE region have formally committed to follow up promptly on ODIHR’s election assessments and recommendations.