COPENHAGEN, 20 March 2026 – The leaders of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s election observation mission to the 12 April parliamentary elections in Hungary will be in Budapest on 24–25 March in preparation for the full deployment of observers next month.

Sargis Khandanyan, member of the National Assembly of Armenia, who has been nominated by OSCE PA President Pere Joan Pons and appointed by the OSCE Chairperson-in-Office to serve as Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, will be joined by Rupa Huq, member of the United Kingdom Parliament, who will serve as Head of the OSCE PA Delegation. During their visit, they will meet with a wide range of interlocutors to assess the overall pre-electoral environment.

Sargis Khandanyan (Armenia)Special Co-ordinator and leader of the short-term OSCE observer mission, and Rupa Huq (United Kingdom), Head of the OSCE PA DelegationThe visit aims to provide insights into the preparations for the upcoming elections and the broader electoral context. Over two days, Khandanyan and Huq will meet with representatives of state authorities, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the National Election Office and the National Election Committee, as well as the State Audit Office and the National Media and Communication Authority. They will also engage with representatives of political parties across the political spectrum, civil society organizations, and media representatives.

The programme also includes briefings by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) election observation mission, which is already deployed in Hungary.

This visit forms part of the Assembly’s ongoing efforts to support democratic processes, transparency and accountability across the OSCE region, including in Hungary.

More than 140 parliamentarians and staff from across the OSCE region are expected to take part in the OSCE PA’s election observation mission, contributing to a comprehensive assessment of the electoral process.

For information on previous election observation missions to Hungary, please click here.