BUDAPEST — A recent Tisza party rally in Budapest drew upward of 100,000 people. Opinion polls show the Tisza party leading ahead of the election.

A generational gap exists in Hungary, with youth pushing overwhelmingly for an end to Viktor Orbán's rule while older citizens remain loyal to him. According to a survey by pollster 21 Research Center, 65% of voters under 30 support the Tisza party and 14% support Viktor Orbán, while among retirement-age Hungarians, Fidesz leads Tisza 50% to 19%.

A group of friends in their mid-20s campaigned door to door last week in a small Hungarian city in support of the Tisza party led by Péter Magyar. The volunteers described Viktor Orbán's system as broken. "We've lived our whole lives in this system, and we want to see what it could be like outside of it," said Florián Végh, a 25-year-old student. "I can say on behalf of my fellow university students and my friends that this system is absolutely dysfunctional."

"A new, active political generation is beginning to unfold before our eyes," said Andrea Szabó, a senior researcher at Eötvös Loránd University's Institute for Political Science. "Now, we have reached the point where after 25 years, there is a new political generation that is against the Orbán regime."

Viktor Orbán's family support policies have not translated into support among young voters. In several recent speeches, Viktor Orbán scolded young people for their anti-government attitudes and asked them to reconsider. "Young people, wake up!" said Viktor Orbán at a rally last week. "These are not times for taking risks, experimenting or trying new things. Believe me, today only Fidesz and my humble self can provide this country with security."

Péter Magyar's economic message has resonated with young voters. "It's easier than ever for his internet-savvy generation to access different forms of information, and to travel to nearby countries where governments are putting public money to good use," said Florián Végh. "In Austria, you see a much calmer, more peaceful, more educated society with better roads and better health care. You cross the border and see that you have drifted into a developed European country."

Zsuzsanna Prépos, a retiree, supports Fidesz because she believes it helps young people. Orbán's government has abolished income tax for mothers with multiple children, provides state-backed loans to first-time homebuyers, and provides a pension supplement for retirees.