Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has confidently predicted a “surprise victory” as he and Peter Magyar, leader of the opposition Tisza party and Mr Orban’s greatest rival, held their final rallies ahead of Sunday’s election, which will be the country’s most consequential in years – regardless of who wins.

Mr Orban, who has been in power for 16 years, was being upbeat until the end, telling the faithful who gathered outside Buda Castle in the capital Budapest hours before the April 12 election that a fifth term was within his reach.

With the polls predicting a seismic win for the pro-EU sympathiser Mr Magyar, Mr Orban, who leads the ruling Fidesz party, encouraged his followers not to lose hope. He said the party needed three million votes to win.

“We will achieve a victory that will surprise everyone, perhaps even ourselves,” said Mr Orban, as the crowd waved national flags in Szentharomsag Square.

A supporter called Viktor wore a T-shirt of Mr Orban which proclaimed him as the “Defender of Europe”.

In this final speech before the polls opened, Mr Orban said his supporters had been “just silent because we were threatened’’, accusing Tisza backers of bullying, of Europe attempting to interfere in Hungarian politics and of foreign spies harassing politicians. He attempted to downplay allegations that Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto had been heard in wire taps seemingly passing on information to Russia, which Tisza supporters have latched upon as treason.

Mr Orban said: “Peter Szijjarto can’t even call his mother without being reported. This is not a nice thing, but there is something behind it that we need to talk about. Why have we become so important? We are important because Hungary has proven over the past ten or so years that it can be done differently. We are the ones, and we should be proud of that, who showed that migrants can be stopped and that our families can be protected. Hungary has shown that it is not only possible to follow the path of war, but that there is also a path to peace.”

Mr Orban said Fidesz members were unfamiliar with being attacked for their opinions and so they remained silent to avoid being laughed at and ridiculed.

The 62-year-old acknowledged the groundswell of political upheaval, noting how Hungarian youth had a desire for change but said their rebellion was misplaced. “That something is not the national government,’’ he said. “If someone wants to rebel, then today they must rebel against Brussels and the global forces and join the national forces.”

He reminded young people that they were able to enjoy life without military service, be able to get housing loans with a fixed rate of 3 per cent interest, and take advantage of student and worker loans. He urged them to speak to their parents and thank them, “because the fact that the country is able to give them this is thanks to the that their parents created it. Respect for fathers and mothers!”

Yet the young people don’t appear to appreciate the subsidised energy and education in Hungary under Orban’s government, instead accusing the Prime Minister of “theft of our future” and “stealing our money”.

On the edges of the square students were staging a counter-rally, including Budapest local Daniel who said he wanted to hear “the last speech of this Hungarian Prime Minister”, believing it will be “a historical moment”.

He said Mr Orban was taking Hungary closer to Russia, that he had destroyed the future of the country, and had been hoarding money. “I think he needs to go,” Daniel said. “Peter Magyar is more Europe central and more young people benefit from European liberal ideas.”

Closer to the nightclub district, a group of university students had arrived from a town some 50km away to be part of the voting day excitement.

On telegraph poles lining the street were defaced pictures of Mr Magyar alongside Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, with the Fidesz party ­reminding voters that Mr Orban had kept Hungary away from the Russian-Ukraine conflict.

Aron Kovacs said this election would define Hungarians’ positioning towards either Russia or Europe.

“This government stole everything from us, they are corrupt as hell, we want to be like European countries,’’ he said, adding “ I am feeling good (for Magyar) I feel we are going to win this, this weekend is like … we go crazy.”

Mr Magyar held his final rally in Debrecen on Saturday night, vowing to “free our beautiful country from everything that the Fidesz government has poisoned it with so far”.

He appeared confident about the result and said that immediately upon taking power – if his party wins – he would submit a new budget, introduce a wealth tax, increase pensions, cut tax and have Hungary join the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

He also vowed to launch investigations into corruption by the Orban government.