Hungary's firebrand nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban claimed a "historic victory" today as his right-wing party took a thumping lead in the country's key parliamentary election.
With more than 93.3 per cent of votes counted, Orban's Fidesz party has won 48.94 per cent of the vote, the National Election Office (NVI) said, putting the 54-year-old premier on track for a third consecutive term in office.
Voter turnout had reached 68.80 per cent, up more than seven points on elections in 2014, NVI said.
Addressing flag-waving supporters late today, Orban said the result gave Hungarians "the opportunity to defend themselves and to defend Hungary".
The crowd cheered as a giant TV screen showed electoral maps of the country almost completely covered in Fidesz's orange colour.
At end of his speech, Orban led the crowd in singing a song from the country's 1848 revolution, "Long Live Hungarian Freedom".
One supporter, 53-year-old Eva Halasz, said: "Viktor is the only leader for Hungary, this proves he has the nation behind him, there is no-one in this country like him, there is no opposition here."
Fidesz may even be on track to win its coveted two-thirds "supermajority" in parliament, which would grant it wide powers to press ahead with controversial measures and change the constitution
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