Hungarians go to polls

Hundreds of thousands attended pro-government rallies

By Nick Thorpe BBC correspondent in Budapest

The people of Hungary have started voting in the second and final round of the parliamentary elections.

In the first round two weeks ago the opposition Socialists won a narrow victory over the ruling centre-right Fidesz party.

Since then the campaign has been marked by large pro-government rallies and bitter accusations traded between the two main parties.

Intense campaigning

The second round of this election is the climax of two of the most remarkable weeks in Hungarian political history.

The ruling party, Fidesz, has adopted the unusual strategy of calling its supporters onto the streets of the country in a show of strength which has infuriated the opposition Socialists and Liberals.

They have responded by calling their supporters to smaller discussion meetings in cafes and public parks.

Each side presents the other as a spent force whose victory would spell disaster for the country.

Socialists ahead

The mathematics of the election appear to offer the Socialists the best chance of victory.

They received 42% of the vote in the first round, compared to 41% for Fidesz.

But with many seats in the capital already won and a close ally in the Liberal Alliance of Free Democrats, the Socialists already regard their candidate Peter Medgyessy, as Hungary's next prime minister.

But Fidesz, buoyed by the new visibility of their supporters still believe they have a chance.

Analysts calculate that they would need to find 200,000 new voters, especially in rural districts, to turn the tables on the Socialists and win another four years in power.